A new Mission for Link Sheika' Revenge
by sineadkfoley
Summary: While Link is in Tokyo the Palace of Hi-Range is attacked by a Sheika and her minions, aided out of the Twilight Realm to get revenge on the Sheika of Kakoriko, Zelda' family and those they support. Link discovers that several rulers including Borak and Aqua have been abducted. Link must save them, stop the Sheika and find out why Colin' family are helping the enemy.
1. Chapter 1

**A New Mission For Link**

 **Sheika' Revenge**

 **Chapter One**

 **They Stormed The Castle**

Zelph and her father were under attack from strange goblins and Sheika soldiers with blue masks covering their face. Hi-Range Palace was a mess.

At this current time neither Zelph or a her father had a weapon to hand and were using bits of broken knight armour to defend themselves,

After knocking one out with an metal arm she and the King managed to find some sanctuary in his study.

Zelph and the King knocked over several bookcases and pulled the desk across the room to baracade themselves in,

"What do you suppose they want?" Zelph asked, out of breath

"There has been a romour of late" The King began, "That the Shieka our ancesters banished somehow managed to find their way out of the Twilight Realm, I haven't yet received a damage report, but I just know they'll have headed for the Castle first, I had to shut down the portals, clearly I wasn't fast enough"

"They're going to kill us aren't they!?" Zelph exclaimed in alarm

"That's a bit defeatest dear, I mean we're in trouble, we're in trouble because we have no weapons and Link is...where is Link?"

"In Japan, for a test to become a Grand Master...the Master Sword is in the Cathedral where his parents funeral took place last year" Zelph told him

"Then yes Zelda, they're probably going to kill us" The King sighed

"What time is it in Japan exactly? Zelph asked, adding "And don't call me Zelda it's Zelph"

"4 am and it's Zelda" The King replied,

Zelph grabbed the landline but before she could call anyone the baracade failed. The King dragged Zelph behind a drape on the wall and down some stairs to a panic room, sealed by four large doors,

"They can't get in can they?" Zelph asked nervously

"The first door requires the master sword, then after that there are a series of puzzles, they'll give up when they can't find us" The King said

"No reception" Zelph said waving the phone at him

The King went over to a painting on the amber painted wall and slid it to the side to reveal a phone. Zelph sighed with relief and went over to the phone,

"We're not safe yet" The Kind told her

A Rito flew over the Palace, shaking his head as he watched the Sheika trashing the place and Lizard creatures standing guard. Several Hylian lay dead or were hiding from goblins in the village, holding on to one another and praying,

"Not you too Zelda" The Rito said before spinning off in a whirlwind he created for himself so the arrows now being fired his way would miss, "I must find Link"

Far, far away, 6,600 miles to be precise Link was meditating. He was alarmed when the room telephone started ringing and then yelped with fright when the Rito flew into his window,

He didn't know what to tend to first, the dazed Rito or the phone. In the end he grabbed the phone and stretched the wire and himself across the bed so he could open the window for the Rito,

"Hello?" Link said into the phone,

"Ah, sorry to wake you sir but you have an urgant call from Princess Zelda, will you take it?" Came the voice of the receptionist,

"Zelda' on the phone? Now? Well I suppose it is 3 in the afternoon where she is, sure I'll take the call"

He looked at the Rito as the Rito collapsed out across his bed, "OK" He said to the Rito sarcastically

"Link!" Came Zelda' frightened voice. Link was now very alarmed, "We're under attack! Link, father and I are trapped and I don't have my arrows, we've no way of defending ourselves, I know what you're doing is important but..."

"What do you mean attack? Where are you, what's going on?" He was cut off, "Zelda!"

"Goblins and Sheika, they stormed the Castle at Old Hyrule, looking for Zelda, when they couldn't find them there people started going missing" The Rito told him,

"What!? Let me get dressed, we'll need to get my sword from the Cathedral" Link said, hurridly trying to find some trousers and a blue hoodie, "My tunic is there too and my sheild, we can use the portals can't we?"

"No Link, we can't" The Rito told him

"Well why not?" Link asked

"The King had to shut them all down when the Sheika attacked Old Hyrule" The Rito told him, "We can fly there though"

Link gave him an uneasy look.

Not a minute later Link was screaming his way to the Cathedral on the back of this giant Rito,

"Would you like to be closer to the ground maybe?" The Rito asked

"Yes" Link replied, then as the Rito dived and laughed he screeched, "No!"

The Rito had a blast, diving, climbing, spinning before eventually landing on the roof of the tallest tower of the Cathedral.

"We're here" The Rito told him

"Oh my God!" Link said, then as he carefully side stepped across slates to a window he could climb through he added, "Why the roof?"

"I didn't want to ruffle feathers" The Rito replied, flexing his wings

"What's you're name?" Link asked

"Aeolius, it means mythical keeper of the wind" Aeolius replied proudly

"I love it" Link smiled, "Meet me in the churchyard"

Aeolius bowed and flew off, and Link ventured down the first of many, many flights of stairs. If he thought he could just waltz right in and take back his master sword he had another thing coming, for waiting for him were three monks,

"Take sword in hand and reclaim they right, of the blade ye be thyne master if you can win without light" Said all three monks.

"I do not have the time for this" Link said,

He grabbed the sword and was plunged into darkness. Link made sure he had a strong grip on his sword and used his remaining senses to determine where the monks were. Each monk came at him in turn and he fought back with the sword without mistake.

The lights came back up for the briefest of moments to throw Link off guard and all three came at him at once,

Link did a backflip so the monks ran into each other and then while they were imobile he held out his hand to target all three and used a spin attack to fire all three back some distance.

The lights came back on but all exits to the room were sealed and the three monks combined to make one monster. They pushed Link and sent him flying,

He rolled over, retrieved his sword, then stood perfectly still. He realised this now giant monk couldn't see him. Link caused a distraction then made the sign of the triangle of courage in it's back before running at the wall, backflipping and embedding the sword into the monk from the head. The sword didn't pierce him as such, more created a blinding light that ate up the monk from top to toe until there was only Link in the room with the master sword,

He did his legendary swing of the sword and put it in place on his back before leaving the chamber via one of the doors that reappeared.

Through this door Link found another chamber and a plynth, on which sat his legendary green tunic, however his sheild wasn't there. As Link reached out a familiar voice sounded from the sword,

"You did well Link"

"Father?" Link said in question, "I pray I have made you proud thus far"

"You have. Link chaos looms once again in Hyrule and Hi-Range but this time it is not Canon we have to fear, the leaders of the new world have all been abducted in the last month by the Sheika of Twilight, word only reached The King today but before you or the guards could be summoned they were attacked. The clan are after Zelda for she is a direct descendant to the Princess of Twilight and there for they believe her blood will cleanse them of the curse placed upon them all those years ago" Came the voice of the Sword.

"Did her family place a curse on the Shieka of Twilight?" Link asked seriously

"No, Ganondolf did" Came the voice of the Sword

Link shivered.

Link quickly put on his Hero' outfit and left the Cathedral to find Aeolius fast asleep in the churchyard. Unsure of any other way to wake him he whistled. Aeolius woke up with a start and beat his wings, knocking flat two trees.

"Oh, oh dear, Link! You're back, were you long?" Aeolius asked

"I had to deal with some unsavoury characters guarding my sword, it's all sorted, shall we go?" Link replied

"Yes" Aeolius said with a nod,

Link climbed onto Aeolius' back and Aeolius created an updraft on which they could ascend. As they rose into the air Link could once again be heard screaming in terror.

It took only a minute or two for Aeolius to fly Link to the village of Hi-Range, sat round the hedge maze, that acted as a barrier between them and the Palace. Aeolius landed in an old fashioned street, being guarded by goblins.

"I'll go on ahead, tackle the largest of the guards at the Palace entrance, you get rid of the Sheika and the goblins" Aeolius said to Link as Link stumbled around, dizzy from trip

No sooner had Aeolius flown off again Link was attacked by a goblin, that had been trashing a shop nearby.

Link shook himself to regain his senses, flipped backwards and created a triangle shape on the goblin' chest. The goblin groaned and exploaded into purple smoke.

Slowly Link fought his way through the village towards the maze seperating it from the Palace and Zelda. Link found the Sheika harder to fight off as they were slim and fast and could teleport, just like they could in BOTW. He realised now why the monks in the Cathedral had tested him. At the beginning of the maze he played Zelda' Lullaby to unlock the gate but instead of the symbol glowing like it should the whole gate set itself ablaze and up too went the maze.

"No!" Link exclaimed, "Aeolius! I need you! Aeolius!"

No reply came, Link climbed the only hedge not ablaze and dashed along the top, jumping from hedge to hedge, all the while being chased by the flames that had now taken the shape of a dragon. The last jump was a big one but the fire dragon was gaining on him. Link took a leap, crying out as he did so, landed side first on the hege and rolled off, landing painfully on the gravel driveway before the Palace of Hi-Range.

Link lay on the gravel and groaned but his fight wasn't over yet for just above him Aeolius was muzzled up, wings clipped together, wriggling in the net as the large lizard creatures poked him with spears.

This made Link insensed, he stood up, removed his sword from it's holder and got their attention,

"Get away from him!"

The leader of the Sheika clan walked out of the Palace, parted the Lizard creatures and laughed,

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Hero of Time, you honestly think a pathetic, little, scrawny boy like you could stop me?"

"What? The same way this pathetic, little, scrawny boy put Canon back in his place? Yes, yes I do" Link replied

Aeolius' eyes widened.

"Oh you're bold Link" The leader said tiredly

"Let the Rito go and concede" Link said

"Cocede!? Me?" She laughed, "Not in your lifetime...OK Link, truth or dare?"

"Truth!" Link snapped,

"Where is the Princess hiding?" The Sheika leader asked

"No idea but she wouldn't be here would she?" Link bluffed

"What would make you say that?" The Sheika leader asked

"Well, not being funny but her father is the King and if you stormed the Castle of Old Hyrule, where, no one has lived for hundreds of years, word would have reached him somehow, he and the Princes would have gone in search of sanctuary long before you arrived" Link said

"My minions saw her here!" She snapped

"They saw a blonde with no weapons to speak of" Link replied

"Enough of this! You're not going to win against me!" The Sheika leader said

She clicked her fingers, banished the lizard creatures and created a barrier of fire, which looked like a dragon with it's tail wrapped all the way around. She then made her own sword appear and the fight begain.

The Sheika leader shot red beams from the sword his way, forcing Link to backflip, dodge, duck and jump before she then thew balls of fire at him, that he fired back with the master sword. The power in the master sword turned the balls of fire into ice, that sank into the Sheika leader, she stumbled to her knees and Link made the first symbol of the Tri-Force on her chest without touching her.

The Sheika leader regained her composure and ran through him, Link screamed but remained on his feet then turned and got her with his sword as she came back at him. She screeched and jumped into the air. Link looked up and froze her with his Tri-Force mark and created the Tri-Force symbol I the gravel directly beneath her with the master sword.

The Sheika leader crashed, unable to breathe,

"This isn't over" She raged before teleporting and blowing out every window left in the Palace with one final screech.

"So that was Bathilda" Aeolius said as Link freed, him took off the muzzle and unclipped his wings, "Thank you"

"Huh" Link breathed before passing out on the driveway.

In the pantry of the now destroyed Palace kitchens Aeolius found Link some heart sweets, which he took gladly, just enough to heal his wounds.

"Link, I am worried about the Princess, I don't sense her" Aeolius fretted

"We'll find her" Link said and he took his sword out of it's holder, "Wolf Link, I need your senses"

Aeolius stood back in shock as Wolf Link jumped from the sword and started sniffing his way around the room, before darking off with a bark. Link and Aeolius were quick to follow and soon enough they had found themselves in the King' office. Wolf Link stopped by the tapastry and growled before jumping back into the sword.

Link and Aeolius had found the King and Zelph.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **The Stone Statues and an attack on Roster Island**

Zelph held onto Link for quite a while, scared at first that he might be an illusion and that she was in fact dead but that didn't explain the giant bird man now crouched in the room with her and The King,

Aeolius' head still hit the ceiling even in this position,

"This is Aeolius, he actually came here for help" Link told the King

"Oh dear, you're people too have been affected by this discord?" The King asked

"Indeed, my sister, the new leader of Rooster Island has been taken, as has the Korok; Rown, but if we could reconvine in a spot more comfortable for me, I may be able to put to you a reason as to why I think this is?" Aeolius said

"Of course!" The King said loudly, then he hesitated, "Any suggestions?"

"The courtyard?" Zelph suggested, "The gardens...my arrows!"

"We won't all fit in one of them, not even the Tri-Force could pull off that trick" Link said with a wink,

"No! I need my arrows!" Zelph said, stomping her foot.

Until Zelph' arrows could be located Zelph just wasn't going to cooperate. Aeolius was trailing behind Zelph as she stormed in and out of each room on the second floor, Aeolius had sensitive feet and was being careful of his footing, he also had sensitive ears and Zelph' screeching was going straight through his head,

"You'll get used to it" Zane said, flying out of a pot and turning back into his Korki self,

"Oh my! What are you!?" Aeolius exclaimed

Zelph turned around and grinned,

"Zane!" She exclaimed, "Do you know where my arrows are?"

Zane rolled his eyes,

"Nice to see you too Princess, where's Link?"

"Oh he's around" Zelph said distracted

"How quickly you're love for that boy passes" Aeolius exclaimed, "You're just like my sister, I pity the day she takes over, her indecisiveness would astound you, "Drain the lake, don't drain the lake, drain the lake" Oh but I do miss her" He sighed, "I hope her abductors are OK"

Zelph stared at him in shock and Zane laughed

"I...wow, just wow" Zelph said, then to Zane she added, "Can't you sense them?"

"I don't need to Princess, I know where they are, that's why I need to find Link" Zane replied

Zelph gasped,

"The Sheika Clan of the Twilight have them!"

"Dew has been following this discord since just before the break in the Twilight Portal" Zane said, "Link, they have Zelda' light arrows, what do you suppose they intend to do with them?" Zane said in question

Link stood on the table with a stick and pointed at a chalk board they had all written and drawn on,

"They'll use them to kill Zelda but I'm not going to let that happen, I'm her knight, it's my job to protect her, I also know that she has a stong mind so there's no way I'll be able to persuade her not to join me for this quest" Link said

"I can't go with you this time Link" Zane said, "I can offer assistance but only from afar"

"That's not fair but if that is how it must be" Link said, then turning to Aeolius he said, "Would you like to join us?"

"I've never been on an adventure before" Aeolius said excitedly

"That's settled, now, problem one, Zelda" Link said

"Hmph!" Zelph excalimed

Link winked at her,

"Problem two these adbuctions, do we know, who else has gone missing?" Link asked

"Asside from Aeolius' sister and Rown, Borak, Aqua" Link and Zelph were horrified to hear this, "And Princess Ooccoo" The King declaired

"That creepy bird with a human face is real too?" Link asked

"Wow, just wow" Aeolius said as Zane shook his head

"So, Aeolius, you said you might know why your sister and Rown were taken too" The King said

"Yes, you see we have a wise owl, he used to embody the King of old Hyrule, he appeared before us not a moment after my sister was taken, you see both we, The Rito and Korok have on our person sacred stones for one of our three sacred stone statues but the Sheika have mistaken those for the secret three, all buried somewhere in old Hyrule. These stone statues have within them the souls of a forefather to three of the seven Sages of Light and hide the Great Fairies of which bestow abilities to the Hero of Time. They had the power to create a beast designed to hold off Gandondolf and his followers should he ever break free from the Sacred Realm, within which his body was transported upon his death, until the Hero of Time had the power he needed to fight him alone. Those abilities may help beat the Sheika and dispell their powers" Aeolius told them all, "That's not all, word is the Sheika had help, those helpers wanted the Phantom Hourglass, possession of the creators of our world. Our people are out their looking for it right now in case it's true"

"Your sacred stones awaken the trial tower don't they?" Zelph said in question

"Yes" Aeolius said

"So let them, while they are distracted by that they won't be watching your sister or the Korok. While we're tracking them Zane and Dew and his HOT team can locate the three mini statues, we'll plant a number of Gorons in the wrong places once we know where they are" Link said

"They have un-Godly creatures lurking all over Old Hyrule and even Hi-Range now" Aeolius said in dispair,

"I wouldn't expect anything less" Link said

"The place you live, wasn't that once Hyrule too?" Zelph asked

"Our Hyrule was hidden beneath a vast and magical water, there are three versions of the same place overall, very few hold the power to go from one to the other. Though all of us can, if we need to, reach this place, Hi-Range, for it is what centres us all. Each version of Hyrule has it's own version of the same historic event. Where Shade failed, where Shade succeeded and became a child once more and where Shade just carried on with his life after helping your ancestor seal Ganondolf away. There were three Godesses to begin with and there for they summerised that there too must be three versions of Link, three versions of you and three versions of Hyrule, this way everything would even out and would not effect the lives of the humans we lived among but while in battle mode your counters do not exist for your outcome dictates their own path" Aeolius told her

"Wow" Zelph breathed

"How do we get to your overworld or Rooster Island?" Link asked

"You can't on your own and I can't carry you to that realm but I know someone, who can" Aeolius said

"Hold on one minute, Hyrule 1 the failed hero realm had Low Rule, Hyrule 2 the child hero realm had Termina, you are of Hyrule 3 the adult hero realm, after the great flood...has anyone seen...?" Zane began, then he stopped,

"You think that's where Aeolius' sister and or the Korok might be being held?" Link summerised

Aeolius looked down and a tear rolled down off his feathered face,

"We'll get her back, we'll get all of them back, won't we Link?" Zelph said, looking at Link

"Uh huh!" Link said with a nod, his Korki side coming out for show, then to the King he asked, "Do you have my sheild?"

"Yes, I had it sent off for repairs and to be modified once word of the first abduction reached me" The King said, "That's in old Hyrule, the child hero realm"

Together, the King, Link, Zelph, Zane and Aeolius went out into the gardens and up to the plynth at the entrance to the training ground. The King opened a portal and all but the King stepped through it in order to stand guard.

Link, Zelph and Zane were pleased to be back in old Hyrule, Aeolius, who had never been to this place at all was in complete awe and a little nervous.

The portal had taken them to Hyrule Castle, which was sat atop of a hill overlooking Castle Town. The windows of the Castle were currently being repaired by men from Kakoriko Village,

"Hello" A guard said, coming over to them, "Who might you lot be?"

"I'm Link, this is Zelda, we're from Hi-Range" Link said, he was a little embarrassed by the bow he now received, "The King sent on my Sheild to be repaired and modified by a welder in Castle Town"

"You received word of our misfortune?" The Guard said in question

"Several leaders have been taken, two from Hyrule 3" Aeolius told him

"This news is most alarming!" The guard exclaimed, "Forgive me, but what do they call your species?"

"We are the Rito, after the great flood and the contamination of our waters we had to evolve, the Goddesses there for granted us wings so we might fly, my name is Aeolius" Aeolius told him.

"Welcome to old Hyrule" The guard said

"I'm a little confused, why guard this Castle if no one lives in it?" Zelph asked

"My dear Princess, there are secrets within these walls that must remain hidden" The guard said with a shiver,

"Like another gateway?" Link asked

"Shh" The guard said, then lowering his voice he added, "A pathway to all three versions of Hyrule and their counter, the temple above and the Twilight Realm"

A thought crossed Link' mind but for now he would keep it to himself.

They bid the guard farewell and ventured down the hill to Castle Town. Zelph zoned in on a shop that sold Royal style outfits, Zane wanted to play a game in a circus tent but he needed a hookshot for it,

"I'll lend you mine, just as soon as I've got my shield back" Link said

Zane grinned, it was his job to guide Link on quests but Dew rarely let him have any down time and Link knew this. In fact, though Dew was on their side he had to admit he was a little afraid of Dew himself, besides he quite fancied playing a few games himself, if only to get back into the swing of things.

"Have we lost Zelph?" Link asked, Zane used his senses to find Zelph then shook this sense off as he realised she was in the middle of getting changed into a new outfit, "Zane?" Link said in question,

"She's fine, that's all you need to know...it's all I needed to know too" Zane said, "I haven't seen her that sparce of garments since she was a baby"

Link laughed,

"She's in the dress shop then" Link said

"Yes, yes she is"

Link and Aeolius went into the welders as Zane splashed water from the fountain on his face,

The heat of the welders was a little stiffling at first and the man behind the counter didn't look all that friendly,

"Got anything needs welding or fixing or scrap you want getting rid of?" He asked

"Uh no, no, I've come to pick up my sheild, it was sent on by the King of Hi-Range" Link said a little nervous

"Ah! Link! Yes you're shield is ready and waiting for you but I'm afraid your bird will have to wait here, if he catches fire Castle Town will disappear and it won't be him that gets the blame" The welder said,

"Fair enough" Aeolius said with a shrug and went outside

Link followed the welder into a larger room just behind the counter, and there on a large wooden workbench was his Hylian Shield,

"I have lined the rim of the shield with magic to add to its strength, it will now repair itself if damaged" The welder told him

"Thank you...do I owe you anything for this?" Link asked

"Just stop the Shieka clan ressurrecting Ganondolf and their rescuer stealing souls we don't want a new War" The welder replied

Link nodded, took his modified shield and left.

Once outside he took in a deep breath and performed a few practice swings with his sword,

He, Aeolius and Zane then went into the tent to play, for what at this moment they had no notion. Zane had a go first. The object of the game was to collect the rupees dotting around, using only one item, in an alloted time. While Zane was playing Zelph came in with a leather breast sheild and back shield over a beautiful sky blue satin shirt, with a skirt, that acted more like a coat would, stopping mid shin and revealing some pink shorts, she also had a new bow of white and gold and a quiver of gold tipped arrows, she also had blue, white, pink and leather boots that went up to just below her knees.

"What do you think?" Zelph asked

"Ask me when I'm 21" Link said and with that he looked back to see how Zane was doing.

Zelph knew what that answer meant and sat down beside him to watch Zane too.

Using the hookshot Link gave him he was able to get his hands on all the ruppees to win the game. Zane backflipped down from a ledge and met the man in charge,

"What do I win?" Zane asked

He was presented with a small statue and a look,

"For you and your knight. I only let you have this because you used Link' hookshot but next time it must be him that plays the games you find the others to be housed"

Zane nodded and he, a baffled Link, Zelph and Aeolius left the tent.

"I don't get it" Link said once they were back at the Palace of Hi-Range

"The statues have been hidden in games, their energy will help me help you locate the leaders" Zane said, "And the Great Fairy it hides"

"We need a map from all three realms" Aeolius summerised

"All six you mean" Link said

"We only have five, no one has ever been to the sixth" Zane said,

The maps to Hyrule 1, Lowrule, Hyrule 2, Termina and Hyrule three were located and spread out across the long table in the dining room. Link then placed the small statue in the centre and it hovered above the Lost Woods in Hyrule 2, then a light shot out of it and burned a hole in the table, just off from the map of Hyrule 3,

"We have a problem" Zelph said

Link, Zelph and Aeolius ventured out into the gardens once again but this time Aeolius summoned the wise owl,

"These two need to be on Rooster Island" Aeolius told him

"Link, I have watched you grow since your last adventure and Zelda too, your anscestors would be proud, are you both ready to take on the task now awaiting you?" He asked

"We are" Link and Zelph said as one

"May the Gods shine upon you" The owl said

With that he seemed to grow to an enormous size and his wings wrapped right around Link and Zelda, before he vanished in a self made twister. In what seemed like no time at all Link and Zelph were stood on the beach at the bottom of a volcano otherwise known as Rooster Island. The owl tilted it's head as Aeolius landed beside him. There was a shudder underfoot and a roar from above, "Oh dear!"

The owl flew off and Link caught sight of a purple dragon with green eyes, it landed atop of Rooster Island and started clawing at it, making rocks fall.

Link dodged them as Zelph and Aeolius yelped in fright,

"It's back! It's back!" Came a startled cry from inside the cave system that sat around the volcano itself

"Zelph, quickly, your arrows, we must kill that thing before he takes anyone else!" Aeolius cried

"No!" Link called over the noise, "We need to hitch a ride on it's back!"

"What?!" Zelph called out as Link started scaling the outter rockface of the cave system, that circled round and up to the just before the summet,

"Wherever that thing came from is where we'll find Aeolius' sister and quite possibly the Korok too!" He called back, "Come on!"

Zelph followed,

"I'll distract him!" Aeolius called,

As Link and Zelph struggled to the top, nearly stumbling a few times Aeolius flew to the top and fired rocks at the dragon,

Once Link and Zelph had reached the dragon' tail they used it to get onto it's back,

The angry dragon belted Aeolius with his front claw, sending him hurtling into the water far below,

"Aeolius!" Link cried but he had no time to worry about his new friend for this dragon had not taken kindly to having two new passengers on his back.

Link had an idea, he took out his whistle and played the sun song, this turned the dragon into a zombie, that then flew calmy back to where it came from.

The Realm of the Wind Waker' Shadow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **The Waker' Temple Of Shadows**

The purple dragon Link and Zelph were riding came in to land atop of what could only be described as a large sink hole with one large path winding down to a temple at the bottom, this path was obstructed by a maze of thorns and was being guarded at several points by pig like creatures that marched back and forth, tripping each other up on occasion or attacking their own shadows.

As they heard a scared Korok' cry for help the purple dragon came to, grabbed them with it's tail and shot them several feet to a clearing within the maze, afoot of a watch tower. Link closed his eyes as he heard a horn blare and many, many pig like creatures charged at himself and Zelph and knocked them out cold.

A while later Link and Zelph came round in a small cell of thorn walls, there were three boxes and two barrels in there with them so it was a tight space.

"This could be tricky" Zelph said

Link frowned and then looked at Zelph wide eyed as a goblin with a spiked hammer came to the door of the cell,

"Oh...wow, that smell is...something else" Link said

Zelph couldn't help it, she laughed hard for a solid minute and the goblin shaking the cell walls and screeching was only making matters worse. Eventually it gave up and walked off.

Link tried to get up but it wasn't going to work so he ate a jelly heart, gave one to Zelph, then started to move the barrels and boxes about,

"What're you doing?" Zelph asked

Link pointed to a hole in the wall, that had been hidden until now,

"Wind Waker" He said

"We still need to get to the bottom" Zelph said

"Then we'll use these barrels, they're empty, those pigs beat up their own shadows, how smart can they really be?" Link said in question,

Zelph raised her eyebrows and the two of them crawled out of this small space. Then, somehow, without anyone knowing about it they took the whole back wall of the cell away and snuck out the two empty barrels.

They got the barrels and themselves down into a ditch that had a black leaf forest lying ahead. Link wasn't entirely sure how he was going to pull it off but he wanted to put two holes for eyes into each barrel so they could see where they were going.

"Where's the Goron hammer?" Zelph asked

"The Goron' have it, it's their hammer" Link told her,

As it turned out he didn't need to worry because about a foot into the black forest where several barrels, some with holes, some without, some rotten and some usable. Link and Zelph sifted through them until they found two they could use.

Barrels overhead they waddled to the top of the thorn maze path. It took them what seemed like an age to make any headway, every few seconds they had to stop when the pig like creatures got suspicious,

Finally Zelph managed to get herself into a position where she was able to take out the remaining pig like creatures with her impeccable archery skills.

The goblins at the top just glanced at the puffs of smoke that were once pig like creatures before going back to patrolling nothing at all.

Link was impressed.

They carefully removed the barrels and ran hand in hand, through the rest of the thorn maze path unhindered, right to the door of the temple at the bottom.

This was guarded by a stone creature, the shadow of which moved around freely,

"Uh, Link" Zelph said, noticing this,

The shadow noticed her and grabbed Zelph' foot, bringing her to the ground,

Link brought his sword down as though it were an axe, at the arm of this shadow. The shadow cried out in pain and the statue above lost it's arm.

The shadow darted into the statue and took control of it.

The statue now jumped down from it's sitting position in the alcove above the entrance to the temple and attacked Link and Zelph,

Zelph used her arrows to chip a piece out of the statue' remaining arm and now distracted by this it dropped the axe it had been swinging,

Link grabbed the axe while he had the chance and took out the statue' legs as Zelph ducked and dived out of harms way; two more swings and the statue was done.

Link dropped the axe and the door to the temple opened out for them. Beyond it was a long, sandstone staircase with ivy all up the walls either side,

Link and Zelph read a sign that said; Welcome to the Wind Waker' Shadow, before entering with trepidation.

At the bottom of the stairs Link and Zelph found a seemingly plain room, boxes everyhwere, some small, some large. A floating platform you couldn't walk around blocked them from the only door they could go through. There was one above on a high ledge but that was locked and at present they had no idea how they were going to get up to it anyway.

They couldn't go underneath the platform or above it as metal spikes shot out of them every five seconds, first below and then above,

At that moment Link' master sword glowed,

"Link! I may be of some help here, draw my stasis power to you so you can get across" Came a voice from the sword,

Link grinned and embedded the sword in the well kept grass beneath them. BOTW Link' ghost appeared before Link and then stepped back until they were one, then when the spikes appeared below he held out his hand and gold chains appeared around the platform, holting the entire mechanism and affording Link and Zelph the time they needed to get across to the door on the opposite side.

As the power subsided they winced at the sound of the spikes going up and ventured into the next room.

Link and Zelph found themselves on a low ceiling platform, they felt really oversized in this room. There was a massive gap between them and a platform opposite, above which was a cage, inside which was the terrfied Korok; Rown,

Link and Zelph got down on their fronts and piered over the edge of the platform, there was a second door lower down, on a ledge to the left and then down further still, a door on the right.

"Hey!" The Korok cried from up high,

Link and Zelph looked up,

"We're here to help, we're just not sure how we're getting over there!" Link called up

"Look to the left of you, on the wall, in the mouth of that stone goblin head is a switch, it'll move all these platforms around but be careful, some of them blow fire at you!" Rown called down,

Link nodded and used the hookshot to grab the switch and pulled back. With some warning the left wall became the floor and once they had righted themselves Link and Zelph got across to a movable platform a metre from them. The gap between that and the platform beneath the Korok cage was still too big though,

Link looked all around until he found another stone goblin head, had Zelph grab ahold of him and used the hookshook to pull the switch and move the platforms again,

Now he and Zelph were suspended and it was a very long way down; as they swung across the room Zelph screamed in fright. Her hands were now tingling. Link lowered them down to the ground and then looked around for another switch. He found one on the edge of the platform that would take them up to beneath the Korok cage.

Link used the hookshot to pull the switch and brought the platform down to their chest heights. Link and Zelph then climbed onto it before Link got down to his front, leaned over and pushed the switch in.

As he got up he quickly realised this was a big mistake. The platform wasn't going to stop, it got faster and faster the higher it went. Link had to make a snap decision and used stasis just past the platform beneath the Korok cage,

Link and Zelph jumped and watched the platform they had just been standing up shoot up to the ceiling then fall back down slowly,

"You nearly killed us" Zelph breathed

"There wasn't another switch" Link replied and with that and a shake of the head from Zelph they ventured through the door into the next room.

Beyond this door was a large empty space with a chest in the middle of it, a box and a canon ball. Link and Zelph didn't trust this at all. Link took some Kokiri pips out of his satchel and fired them into the middle of the room. Nothing happened. Zelph picked up a box and fired this into the middle, again nothing happened so Link grabbed the canon ball and rolled it towards the chest and just like that a big plant like creature revealed itself underfoot, it's petals snapped shut and tenticles wrapped around Link and Zelph' waists and fired them to opposite ends of the room.

"Link! Link! Can you her me!?" Came Zane' voice

"Yes I can hear you" Link called out in pain,

"I'm on my way to you with Dew' boomerang but you're going to have to face off with this minie without it"

"There's nothing minie about this thing!" Link called out, avoiding a whack from a tenticle,

Once he had the chance Link used stasis on the plant like creature and then scanned it for weak points,

"The tenticles grow back Link you need to find a way to destroy his petals" Came Zane' voice

"Ocorina of Time!" Zelph cried as the stasis faded and she and Link were picked up and fired across the room again,

"Shade! I need you!" Link cried before embedding the master sword in the ground beneath him,

A red gil appeared in the air, freezing time, Zelph and the plant like creature,

The gil sunk into Link' hand and Link slammed his hand on the ground with a cry, a golden light apeared around Zelph and a dome of fire formed around Link before travelling out across the room, setting the petals on fire.

Zelph gasped as she unfroze,

As the petals withered they saw an eye where the chest had been. Zelph fired four arrows into it before the petals came back but now they knew how to beat it, it was easy. They repeated the proccess twice more and the boss blew up into purple smoke.

Link and Zelph sighed with relief and ate their jelly hearts until their wounds disappeared, before turning around so see several bricks slide out of the walls at differing heights, all leading up to a new platform and a large door that up until now they couldn't hope to reach.

Very carefully Link and Zelph made their way up and through the door where they found themselves in the Korok Cage.

Rown was so overjoyed to be rescued that he jumped into Link' arms and shook. Link laughed and cuddled the poor little Korok,

"Why did they nab me? What did I do? Play out of tune?" He whimpered sadly,

"I'm afraid you and Aeolius' sister have been caught up in our mess, but you're safe now, we'll get you out of here" Link told him as he jumped down,

"Oh...Aeolius' sister is here? Cameo they call her...I wonder where she is? Here, take this as a thank you from me" Rown said before presenting Link with a folded Korok leaf,

"You'll be able to glide with that now" Zelph told Link

Link grinned and put it away in his satchel.

With some effort, after getting out of the Korok cage Link, Zelph and Rown made their way over to the door on the lower left, here they found a plague of rats, who tried to con them into buying things they didn't need, or things that would take health away if they used them, then attacked the three of them when they refused.

Link used the fire gil and they all blew up into puffs of purple smoke, which filled the room and stayed there to obstruct vision. Link and Zelph walked into each other and stood on the Korok a few times before Link remembered his Korok leaf,

He used this to blow the smoke away until the path was made clear to them. They were alarmed to find that where there had been two doors on entering this room there was now only one. They venutred through this door and followed a corridor of swinging platforms, right round to the room on the other side. Here they found more rats, Link tried to use the gil on these ones but they became four big rats with large red claws.

As soon as they turned and had Link, Zelph and Rown trapped Link embeded the sword into the ground at his feet,

"BOTW!" He yelled, then as the rats took a swipe for him he used stasis on the rat on his left and along with him had zelph duck so the other three hit the rat in stasis and took him out, "Ha! It worked!" Link exclaimed in shock,

They backed out from the only gap available and as the rats went to take a swipe again he put the one opposite in stasis. The two remaining rats hit the rat in stasis and took it out,

"I don't understand how we're getting away with that" Zelph said as Link put the second to last rat in stasis as they took a swipe for them,

Once the remaning rat had taken out the one in stasis Link put this one in stasis too and used his sword to create an unspide down triangle on it's back.

The rat exploded into purple smoke and the room flipped upside down, in fact the whole temple flipped upside down,

"Now we can get into the room we couldn't get into before, by the entrance to the temple" Link said after he, Rown and Zelph had landed, "Majoras Mask and as for your statement these rats can't see, they can however smell me so when I put the rat in stasis the scent of power from my Tri-Force piece and BOTW' Link was stronger on the rat than it was on me so they killed the rat"

Link and Zelph got back to the first room at the entrance of the temple, along with Rown and got access to the second to last room in the entire temple. In this room there were pillars just big enough for two, eyes on the ceiling that opened and shut and a bottomless pit below them.

On some of the pillars were switches that would unlock what Link referred to as the boss door.

Zelph realised that the pupils of each eye were shaped like arrows that changed directon with every blink.

"OK Rown, this is where you come in" Zelph said, "I need you to hover above the switches and tell me which way the arrow at the edge of the platform is pointing so I know when to shoot the eye and activate a whirlwind Link can used to reach the platform, have you got that?"

The Korok made a noise to say that he had understood and flew up and across to the first pillar,

"Zelda! The arrow on the switch doesn't match the arrow on the edge of the platform" He called

"So there's a path we have to follow round to it" Link summerised, "Fly around and work out the path" Link told him

Rown followed this instruction and didn't speak again until he had a path for Link,

"Zelda, you need an arrow facing up" He told her

Zelph nodded and used her bow and arrows to shoot an eye with the symbol she needed, this created a whirlwind and lit up the room a little. Link jumped with the Korok leaf at the ready, caught the whirlwind and used it to reach the pillar, where he dropped and activated the switch. One of the bars on the boss door slid away. Threre were three switches and five whirlwinds left now.

Once the last bar slid away from the boss door Rown flew back, sat on Zelda' shoulders and carried her to the boss door, where Link was waiting.

With a look of determination Link and Zelph slid the boss door to the side and step into the unknown. After a nervous second the little Korok ran in after them and the boss door slammed shut.

The shock of it caused him to give out a startled cry.

Link frowned at his surroundings until he saw Cameo in the centre in chains, crying. Link, overcome by the injustice ran towards her without thinking and became trapped. Three circular walls rose up, seperating Cameo from Link and Link from Zelph and Rown,

Link wasn't afraid now, he was mad, he had his sword at the ready even before the first cackle rang out around the room,

"Link, you love lawn fool, all it took was a cry of fear and dread to get you to come running"

Link cried out in anger and swiped his sword,

"I know that voice! Stop hiding you coward!"

There was a shriek of anger and from where Cameo had been the Bathilda shot up, flipped over Link and pushed him into the wall,

As he turned she ported,

"You're going to regret that Hero of Time" Came her now ghostly voice,

The walls started to spin and the battle was on. Link realised that there were eyes in the spinning walls,

"Link! I can't help you!" Zelph cried

"Don't worry! I know what I have to do...kind of!" Link replied.

First he concentrated on the wall seperating him from Cameo, and he waited for the eye. He tried using stasis on it but when he did this the eye shut tight. Link centred himself and slowed down time, all he could hear was the now slow rythmn of his heart, then when he was ready he jabbed his sword before him and took out the first eye, he then turned and took out the eye in the wall behind, then ducked as two giant flying caterpillers shot out from these spaces left behind.

These caterpillers dropped venom from their legs as they flew around the room. Zelph aimed her arrows for the soft spot on their behinds until one crashed and Link could slice part of the Tri-Force symbol on it. It screeched and flew off around the room again. They did this until both shrivelled and blew up into purple smoke.

The chains around Cameo were released and as Zelph and Rown ran over to her to heal her Link put his sword away.

He was about to join them when the ground rumbled beneath them,

"You got lucky Hero of Time...just so you know I'm not the only one close, who's out to hurt the Ruled line"

A crest dropped to the ground before a lit door appeared on the other side of the room. Through that door Link, Zelph, Cameo and Rown found themselves in a chamber within Hyrule Castle of Old Hyrule,

"Who does that crest belong to?" Zelph asked with worry

"I don't know" Link told her honestly but he was going to find out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **The First Fairy Fountain and Some New Boots**

Aeolius blinked a few times and let his eyes adjust to the smiling faces standing over him. There was Link, Zelph, Zane, Cameo and on his lap Rown,

"He's been dipping in and out of consciousness for a while" Zane said,

Aeolis smiled,

"You...you made it"

"Thanks to Link" Cameo said,

"I had help" Link blushed, stroking Rown on the top of his little head,

"Where am I?" Aeolius asked, then to Zelph he said "Oh I found your arrows Zelda, or rather the Hyrule Guards did, my wing was hooked to a chest when they fished me out"

Zelph nearly burst into tears as a guard came in and handed them back to her,

Aeolius had crisp white banages on his arms and wings so found it difficult to move,

"You're in Old Hyrule Castle, remember?" Zane told him, "It is our fault you're lying there like that, you can stay as long as you like"

With this Zane lead Link and Zelph out of the room and down a long corridor to the Old King' study,

"Zane" Link began, then as Zane turned to look at him he handed him the crest, "Do you know, who this crest belonged to?"

"I am afraid I do not" Zane told him after taking a good look at it, "But I can find out for you if it's important"

"We encounted Bathilda in the temple and she taunted Link, she said she wasn't the only one out to hurt us and that crest dropped down from seemingly nowhere" Zelph said

Zane pulled a face,

"Zane" Link said, "I think there's a mole here in Old Hyrule, someone that knows about the door to each realm in the two time lines either side, created by Zelda when Shade Link destroyed Ganondolf"

"If they have a crest then that is a real possiblity" Zane told Link, "Now about the first Fairy, there's only one person that can get you to where she lives"

"Chestnut?" Link asked

"Skit" Zane grinned, "I've booked you on the next flight to New Zealand"

"Is Mya OK?" Link asked, suddenly worried, "Nanna?"

"Mya is fine, she has been made aware of the situation and so until further notice she will be living with the Kokiri in Kokiri village, Nanna' going too" Link gave his signiture laugh, "Before I forget" He added, handing Link a boomberang, "You're going to need that where you're going"

Link held it up and imagined the "You got a new item" music in his mind for a second, then he looked at Zane, who shook his head and smiled,

"The Fairy Fountain" He said,

"The Goron Mines" Zane corrected him, "We think that's where the Sheika minions are holding Borak, I should have the location of the next game by the time you get out of the mine...you will get out of that mine" Zane said, looking Link in the eye,

"Uh huh!" Link nodded

By late evening Link and Zelph were on a plane to New Zealand, where they would be met by Skit, and after an all too brief catch up with Mya, Nanna and the Kokiri they were venturing into the Lost Woods once more.

"Things are a little different this time" Skit said leading them a completely different route to the one that lead to the Forest Shrine, "What you seek is in the sacred ground to the West of the Lost Woods but we can cut out the springs and Ordon completely if we take my short cut"

There was a strange moving fog that Skit, Link and Zelph had to walk around,

"What is that?" Link asked Skit

"Twilight Fog, Zelph would be OK but you and I won't be if we venutre into it" Skit told them, "It's acting on behalf of the Shieka that came here looking for the Fairy Fountain within the sacred statue but they took a wrong turn, as long as this fog doesn't engulf you or I it won't be able to obtain the knowledge the lost Shieka needs" Carefully they dodged the fog until they reached a great canyon, Skit pointed across to a ledge and the mouth of a cave, "That is where we need to be"

"How do you know this is the way?" Zelph asked

Skit turned his nose up at her,

"My wife is the Great Forest Fairy" He said, "I can get across, I'm just worried about you two"

"How do you get across this?" Link asked

"We role play...I'm the prince and she's...never mind she's not just going to meet me half way with all this going on, look around Link, there are knotted ropes and platforms and fans you could move with the aid of a Korok Leaf or Boomerang, have you either of those?"

Link nodded,

"I have both"

Skit used a slingshot to hit the knotts in the rope of the tree branch nearest them. The the rope rolled down.

Swinging from the rope to the platform was a piece of cake for Skit and for Link but Zelph panicked half way and became suspended between the ledge and the platform where Skit and Link were waiting,

"I...I can't do this!" She screeched, hands getting clamy and starting to tingle,

"Zelph, you can!" Link called back

"That's not going to help" Skit remarked, Zelph cried "Neither is that. Stand back"

"What're you going to do?" Link asked

"Something very stupid" Came Skit' reply beforedoing a dangerous stunt to rescue her,

"That was amazing!" Link exclaimed,

"I'll teach you how to do that some day" Skit told him, "we're not in the Sacred Grounds yet"

"Thank you" Zelph said, "I'm sorry"

"You're only Hyilan, you're fabulous archers but when it comes to trees and ropes and snakes and ladders you're...oh never mind dear, you're safe now"

"We have to come back" Zelph said

"The Great Fairy can take you anywhere you need to go" Skit told her

With some effort and a little help from the boomerang and the Korok leaf Link, Zelph and Skit made it across to the ledge on the other side of the canyon and a cave entrance. Skit took a lit torch from his satchel. At this Link and Zelph frowned. Skit grinned and led the way,

"Magic" He said

Link and Zelph followed Skit through the cave and out the other side to a clearing, where beautiful music played all around them from seemingly nowhere. However Link could feel a test in his bones and he was proved right for the minute he stepped out ahead of Skit a floor of large squares rose up, along with two large stone guards,

"Oh my God!" Zelph exclaimed

"They're real too" Link said breathless

"We present to you two tests, one for the chosen hero and one for the Princess" A statue boomed

Link nodded,

"What about me?" Skit asked sounding disappointed

"The boss will break me if I let anything happen to you, you're sitting this one out" The second statue boomed before materialising a stone chair.

"Oh" Skit grinned,

Link giggled as he took his seat,

"What's the challenge?" Link asked the stone guards

"There are four pods placed somewhere on the board that must be broken two at a time, if you move forward, we'll move forward, if you knock us off you'll find yourself back at the beginning. If you break one or only one of us lands on a pod you'll lose a square to stand on and the game will start again" The first stone guard explained,

"That's a little harder than in the game...is there a time limit?" Link asked

"There is not" The first stone guard replied

"Where do I start?" Link asked

"There's a Triforce in the middle there" Skit said with a point

Link walked out to the Triforce on the centre and took in all the squares. It took Link a few frustrating goes and he cost himself four squares in the process until he was finally able to get two pods. Now he had to move the statues to stand on the remaining pods but this part wasn't as difficult because he knew what he was doing wrong now.

Once the last two pods were crushed the lost squares reappeared and Link sat on the ground, shaking his head,

"So much easier with a Wii Remote" Link said

"My turn" Zelph said as Link plonked himself on the arm of the chair Skit was sitting on,

Before Zelph could step on the board, as the statues called it, the floor sank and was then replaced by a giant Triforce and 9 giant triangle shaped stones,

"Build the Triforce" Came the first stone guard' voice

The stone guards were no longer there, it was just Zelph, a clearing and the giant puzzle pieces. She took her time, looked at everything and how each piece moved until she had a vague idea, after that it was trial and error until the Triforce puzzle was complete, the Triforce glowed and the ground beneath her feet rumbled,

The sacred statue rose up with her on it's crown and at present she had no way down, Link and Skit would have to see the Great Forest Fairy on their own,

"Bother!"

Link laughed his way into the statue after Skit placed the minnie one in it's place on the ivy covered double doors.

At the bottom of the stairs Skit had Link stand by some steps up to a round pool of sparkling water,

At the bottom of these steps was a Triforce symbol, which glowed, then the mark on Link' hand glowed and from seemingly everywhere came the laugh of the Great Forest Fairy before this giant of a woman with turquoise hair shot out of the water and scared Link,

Skit grinned,

"Hero of Time" The Great Forest Fairy began, "Allow me to bestow on you a gift, the gateway gil"

As the Great Forest Fairy materialised this gil Link was breathless,

"You now have the ability to move freely and without harm through all three time lines, something tells me that may come in very handy" Skit told him,

"It will take you to whichever realm you choose to go but heed my warning, only use this if you or Zelda are in danger, or you are in pursute of an enemy for miss-use of that gil will drain your life force, I have healed your wounds and thoes of the Princess, the stone medallion is activated, I will send a signal to Zane back in Hi-Range, safer there...if you grow weary find one of my sisters"

With one of her insane laughs the Great Forest Fairy disappeared back into the water,

"OK she's creepier in real life" Link told Skit as they left and looked up at Zelph on the crown of the statue that housed the fairy fountain, "Zelph, got any rope up there!?"

"Wouldn't I have used it before now if I did?" Zelph replied a little snarky

"A Goron would be really handy round about now" Link sighed,

"There's a Goron!" Zelph called down, "He's by some stone with an eye on it!" Then to the Goron on a ledge high above she called, "Hey! Goron!"

The Goron turned around to look in surpirse,

"I have some information about this stone, would you like to hear it?" He asked

"Sure just help us out first!" Zelph called back

The Goron made a noise and rolled out of view. The ground shook beneath Link and Skit until the Goron appeared at their feet,

"Hello brother!" The Goron exclaimed on seeing Link' smiling face, "I'll expect you're wondering why I'm here"

"Has it something to do with those Shieka Stones?" Link asked

"Link! I'd quite like to get down from here" Zelph called down,

"They are mimicking the Kakoriko made truth stones, they stare into your soul and ask you questions" The Goron told Link and Skit

"So they're spies!?" Zelph called down,

"Exactly, I have been sent to search all of Hyrule for them and I'm to report back to the King as and when I find one" The Goron said, "I have anti-blab potion I got from a witch in the swamp, she goes back and forth between here and Termina, if a stone wakes up I drink from the potion and give it false information, if it doesn't then I use one of our bombs to blast it back to the Twilight"

"Wonderful" Skit said

"Now, what appears to be the problem?" The Goron asked

"Oh my God!" Zelph exclaimed, "I'm stuck, Link needs a Goron lift so we can glide back down using the Korok leaf he has!"

"Oh!" The Goron exclaimed, then to Link he added, "Climb on brother!"

With that he curled up into a ball, Link climbed onto his back and he was fired up onto the crown of the statue.

Once he had climbed into the crown he had Zelph wrap her arms around him, tightly, just not so tight that he couldn't breathe, took out the the Korok leaf and glided with Zelph down to ground level,

Skit looked at Link with a twinkle in the eye,

"Can I have a go, please?" He asked Link.

Link gave Skit the Korok leaf, Skit whooped with joy, climbed the Goron' back, was fired up onto the crown and floated back down to the ground making Zelph laugh.

A few minutes later, after the Goron had blown up the Sheika Stone, Skit called back to the Great Forest Fairy and asked for a lift for himself, Link and Zane back to the entrance of Kokiri Village, where they had lunch and told Nanna, Mya and the Kokiri all about the trip through the Lost Woods and Skit' mini sky dive but all too soon the lunch was over it was time to head for the old Goron Mines, Link wouldn't need a fire proof tunic here but he would need to get past it's old Goron guards.

"The Iron Boots are hidden somewhere within Wolf Link' treehouse but only the Mayer has the key, so you'll have to get it from him" The Kokiri leader told him,

"Oh dear" Link sighed, "Where's Epona?"

Link took Epona from the child sized paddock and rode her past the Great Deku Tree and along the road to Ordon, but if he throught this task was going to be simple he had another thing coming. Upon entering the village he was stopped by a scared looking Korki, looking up at a bees nest under the ridge of his house,

"You look like a Link" He said,

"I am Link" Link told him, "I'm here to see the Mayer"

"Have you anything you can get that bees nest down with, I can't get in and my wife can't get out" The Korki said,

Link got down from Epona and groaned,

"I have a slingshot but you better get ready to run for it" Link said and he walked Epona over to a pumpkin patch, "Don't give me that look Epona"

"What look is she giving you?" The Korki asked

"This is a stupid idea" Link told him before using the slingshot to shoot down the bees nest, as Link expected, just like in the game, the bees came after him and the Korki, who both ran and jumped into the fishing lake and held their breath underwater until the bees gave up and flew away, "Hey, can I have some of that lava and some honey? Might come in useful down the line" Link asked after emerging from the water,

"You can take the whole thing I only wanted to go home" The Korki told him, "Thanks" He added with a shake of the hand,

Link was about to cross the bridge that lead to the Mayer' house when the owner of the pumpkin patch came out of his watermill house,

"Hey! You can't leave your horse there" He called

"It's OK she doesn't like pumpkins" Link called back. At that moment Epona sniffed the pumpkin and kicked it into the wall of the watermill house. Link bowed his head and got back up on Epona, "She's a good girl really"

"To you maybe. What's she called?" The man asked

"Epona" Link replied, affording him a look of shock, "I'm Link, guess I could leave her in the farmers paddock or shed for now" He added and with that he went across the bridge, passed the Mayer' house and made his way onto the farmland,

Here he found a stressed farmer trying to heard his goats,

"Hey!" He called,

"How did these people know this? Watch Epona, he's going to ask us to heard his goats in a minute" Link said to Epona,

Epona shook her main and he soothed her lovingly,

"My sheep dog has got himself stuck! Can you get him down for me!?" The farmer asked

"Oh...sure, where is he?" Link called, the farmer pointed to the roof above the barn, "How did he get up there!?" Epona got spooked, "Sorry Epona" He added and jumped down to take a look at the barn,

"Some Shieka Minions raided my farm last night, trapped him up there and let all the animals out, the goats are fine, I can heard them no problem but I can't do anything with my sheep without that dog, he won't come down and I can't climb up there and get him because I have a bad back, bad knees..."

"Should you really be farming at all?" Link asked, "I'm sorry, I have my father' lip"

"My son is on a trip with his school, won't be back until next week" The farmer told him,

"I'll get him down" Link reasured him and with that he found a route up to the roof of the barn where the dog shook, "Come here boy, I've got you"

Link held up his mark and it glowed, the dog calmed instantly, Link turned, bent down and waited for the dog to climb onto his back, then with a grip of steel he carefully made his way back down,

"Oh thank you! Thank you!" The farmer exclaimed, "He's my son' dog really...is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"Could you let me leave my horse in your barn while I see the Mayer?" Link asked

"Oh...oh sure"

Link got Epona settled and gave her some apples to eat before heading back down to the Mayer' house. The Mayer lead Link into his house and through to a Sumo Ring,

"That's real too?" Link asked, "I need the boots, I have a Goron in trouble"

"You can have the key and the wareabouts if you can get me out of the ring" The Mayer said, "If you're the Hero of Time you'll find a way"

Link frowned and stood in the ring with the Mayer, then before the Mayer could fire him across the room he side stepped, grabbed his sword and embedded it in the ground,

"Stasis!" He cried.

It worked, the Mayer was held in place, Link stood behind him and pushed his back three times so when the stasis wore off the Mayer went flying,

"Oh...ouch, didn't see that coming" He groaned as Link put his sword away, "The boots are in the basement of Wolf Link' tree house" He added, getting up and brushing himself down, "They might not work for just you. The Goron' won't let you use stasis on them either, the key is in a chest over there by the boxes"

Link nodded and took the key from the chest.

Link made his way over to the Wolf Link' tree house, climbed up the ladder, ventured into the house and found his way into the basement, he used a lit torch to see his way around and the first thing he found was a mirror with Wolf Link in the image,

"He needs to be careful" Wolf Link said,

"Who?" Link asked,

In the mirror Link saw Colin being grabbed at the wrist and asked for secrets regarding the Hi-Range Royal Family,

Link gasped and then glared.

Once he was over the shock he found the chest with the iron boots in it, took them out and held them up,

They didn't seem that heavy until he wore them.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

 **The Goron Mines**

The shuddering created by Link bounding about in his new iron boots sent the Kokiri into a state of panic,

"Earthquake!" Pip cried

The Kokiri ran around, climbed trees or knocked each other out, unwilling to listen to Zane when he tried to tell them it was Link.

Link arrived, desperately tired now but unable to topple over for the weight of the boots,

"Must...take...off...new boots!"

The Kokiri stopped and stared at Link in disbelief.

Zane was rather amused by this as he unclipped Link out of the iron boots a few minutes later, then held him up until he remembered how to put one foot in front of the other,

"They're for the magnets in the mine not the Goron wrestling" He laughed

"Magnets? Why are there magnets in the mines?" Link asked, "Where are the mines?"

"Kakoriko Gorge, west of Death Mountain, there's a short cut to the homestead from the Lost Woods" Zane told him

"Why wasn't that option available to me last time?" Link asked, slightly put out, "27 hours on a plane"

"If we'd taken that route then you'd have had a three day treck to Death Mountain and Zelph would have been stuck because she wouldn't have been aloud to pass through the bi-path to Kakoriko Village"

"Ah, I see, well OK, Zelph can come with me this time can't she?" Link enquired

"If she can win the sumo wrestling match with the elder guarding the entrance to the mines yes" Skit told him, "Perhaps your boots were for her instead, couldn't hurt to have a few practice runs before you go"

"Hmm, with you?" Link asked

Skit laughed,

"Oh no, I run I don't wrestle" He replied, "You need another girl...what about Saria?

"She's real too? Scrap that idea, a child, that's not a fair fight" Link said,

It was at that moment that Zelph arrived,

"Uh, I'm not fighting anyone" She said

"Not fighting as such, more wrestling...with a Goron and iron boots" Link said

"But you can't even walk in them" Zelph huffed,

"But I'm just a boy, I could never be as strong as you" Link said batting his eyelids

"Oh you're smooth" Skit said

Then Link had a thought,

"What if I couldn't walk in these boots because they weren't designed for me, if the one that's meant to wear them is wearing them they'll be able to walk in them, and as for me needing the magnets on them I could always drop in on a metal merchant and attach magnets to the soles of my regular boots"

"You could" Zane said, then to Zelph he added, "Try them"

Zelph tried on the boots and found that they made no difference to her at all, everyone looked at her and smiled,

"What does this mean?" She asked

"You'll remain unmoved while in the ring with the Goron and will have a chance then of winning, that way we can see that mine through together and hoepfully save Borak while we're at it" Link told her

Not wanting to waste anymore time Zelph and Link ventured into the lost woods with Zane,

"We're not following the water this time, do you know the way Zane?" Link asked Zane

"Follow your ears to the reply you get on playing the tune used for the shrine atop of Death Mountain" Zane told him,

Link nodded and took out his whistle, it had holes to make different notes depending on whether he was playing a tune for attention, to open doorways, to get into shrines or travel backwards through time.

This tune was easy enough to remember, he wasn't sure what to expect though and was surprised when upon finding the right key he was presented with two voiced options,

"Goron City West of Death Mountain or Port to Death Mountain" said the voice

"Goron City West of Death Mountain" Link said and in return from a path directly ahead of them they heard the tune from OOT Goron City,

"It works!" Link exclaimed with a laugh

"Of course it works, now if the tune fades you're going the wrong way, if it's louder you're going the right way"

"Uh huh!" Link nodded and the tune trail began,

Link, Zelph and Zane started to make their way through the Lost Woods and whenever they started to get confused Link would play Death Mountain' tune again and listen for the Gorons.

Eventually they came to a stone doorway, beyond that doorway was long passage with fog wafting around and a soft glow of light at the far end,

"Is this it? Is this the secret passage to Kakoriko Gorge?" Zelph asked

"This is it" Zane told them, "But I can't go through with you, I have to locate the next minie statue holder and statue for you" He added, "Good luck you two"

Link nodded and he and Zelph ventured into the passage.

Link and Zelph came out into a cave, they followed the sound of running water until they came across the back of a waterfall,

"There's no way we can get through this" Zelph said

"There's another way out, don't you know where we are yet? Twilight Princess, this is the back of the spring, that houses the light spirit of the era of the Wolf" Link told her

Zelph looked at him surprised and followed Link around to a blockage that would take them out into the village,

Link was searching his satchel for his bombs when suddenly, they heard a fuse being lit, backed up, ran into the wall behind them and covered each other as the blockage was blasted out and standing there in it's place as the dust lifted was a laughing Goron,

"Are you Link Brother?" He asked Link

"Uh huh" Link breathed, absolutely terrified, "We believe the heir to Death Mountain may have been trapped in your mine"

"Oh we know he has and that's not the only thing in there but the leader won't let you two just waltz in there unprepared, if you can't win against him he won't believe you are the true Hero of Time, he'll still let you through Brother but if the monsters in there don't kill you the other Gorons will"

"I can win" Link said

This pleased the Goron no end, he grabbed Link up then slapped him around to remove any dust remaining on his green outfit and any air remaining in his lungs,

Zelph, who was wearing the iron boots was unmoved by the Goron' pat on the back and this caused him to have a very puzzled look about him.

As the Goron left, expecting them to follow, Zelph coughed and gasped for air,

"Oh my God! I can't breathe"

"Welcome to my world" Link told her,

"Come on Brother!" The Goron called back

The Goron took Link and Zelph through the village from the Twilight Princess, past the old burnt out bomb shop and Talon' shop, through an arch and along a twisted road that went up at an angle and then down twice before eventually coming out into a communal area,

Link likened it to an old swimming baths in Rome except that this one was full of male Gorons and their sons,

"Where are all the female Gorons?" Zelph asked, starting to blush

Link found her embrarrassment amusing,

"It's too hot for them" The Goron leading them told her

"Is there an easier way to the top Goron? Or do we really have to climb that peak?" Link asked

"There's a lift Brother" The Goron told him

The Goron led them around the water' edge, up some steps and through a arch to a platform with a statue on it, it's hands outstretched and mouth open as though displaying a sense of shock,

the Goron shut it's mouth and the platform moved up,

Link laughed at this and followed the Goron' lead by turning to face the same direction as the statue. Zelph followed suit just as the platform reached the wrestling ring,

"Ah! You have brought some new Hylians to challenge me" The Leader said

"This is Link and Princess Zelda of the Hi-Range and she is a descendant of the Twilight Princess. The guards have located the missing future Goron Leader of Death Mountain to our mines Brother, I must urge you to let them pass" The Goron told the leader

"If Link is the true hero of time then he will get me out of this ring without his sword or the boots...you really think our ancestors didn't know about them?" The Goron Leader said with a raised eyebrow

Link laughed with embarrassment,

"Link" Zelph began, nervously

"It's OK Zelph, really" Link said taking off his boots and cabbolt and standing in the ring with the Goron Leader,

Zelph was nervous as the Goron, who led them, called for a start but she didn't remember anything after that, Link had been focusing on the ability he needed so he wouldn't have to rely on the sword and was already calling on the use of Stasis to freeze the Goron Leader in place, he then simply shoved him in the back three times so when it wore off the Goron went flying out of the ring,

Link straightened up, rubbed imaginary chalk from his palms and giggled,

"He's the Hero...would" The Goron Leader began, getting up off the ground, "Would the Princess like a go?"

"This Princess never says no to a challenge" She said before adding nervously, "Within reason"

So now it was Zelph' turn and annoyingly for her she had to work for this victory but once victory was hers she slumped like a rag-doll,

"I'll be, are all human Hylians this strong?" The Goron Leader asked

"Uh...sure, sure, why not?" Link said, "So do we have permission to venture into the Goron Mines now?"

"Of course Brother, but be careful, something rampaged through that space not long after the Sheika of the Twilight realm...how they managed it I'll never know, we didn't see any of them approach"

"I think I know, I just don't have the proof, know how or why yet but I will"

Link and Zelph followed the sound of creaking metal and bubbling larva through a seemingly endless tunnel built into a quarry until they finally came across a metal rust coloured door,

They could feel the heat from here as they worked together to move the door asside so they could get through to a large open space with two paths, on which sat carts on bent rails, going left and right and an incomplete path straight across the centre, beyond the gap, on the other side was a cell and in that cell was Borak.

Borak' eyes brightened the second he saw Link and Zelph,

"Yo! Brother! How did you find me!?" He called, "Hi Zelda! You beat the Goron Leader to a wrestling match? That's savage"

"Hi...thanks" Zelph blushed, "I had help" She, added showing him the boots,

"Twilight...makes sense, well played, so long as he never finds out about it"

"How am I supposed to get you out of there? I don't see a gate behind you" Link called

"The Sheika and her mob broke a whole load of mechanisms, blocked off paths to the mines" Borak called then he pointed up towards the ceiling, "That floor needs to come down here, you can only lower that on your own a certain way, enough to get you access to the room I trapped the monster in before I was caught again. I hid the key, the chest hiding it won't activate until the area it's in has been cleared, these bars interact with the mechanism, with each mechanism you fix a new area will be made available and these bars will lower...however this larva has a tide that rolls in from Death Mountain, you haven't got long...or rather I haven't" Borak told Link before revealing the Goron Hammer, "Thought you might need this but I'll need it back afterward"

To Link' shock Borak put his arms through the bars and tossed the hammer,

Thankfully it landed on the edge of the incomplete platform in the centre,

"If that had fallen in the larva...?" Link began as he went out to retrieve it

"You'd have gone back in time and told me to aim higher" Borak said

Link smiled and took the hammer up in his hands,

"I'm going to get you out of there" Link told him honestly

"I know" Borak smiled, "But you need to hurry now"

Link nodded and looked left and right, after a moment's hesitation he decided to go left, he and Zelph got into the cart and it took off, through a small tunnel then out over a large pit,

Far below they could see larva pouring out of pipes,

So transfixed by this were they that they almost went straight into a pillar,

Leaning just at the right time they worked out how to steer the cart through the next tunnel until the track ended and they were faced with a wall of caterpillers,

"Oh my God!" Link exclaimed,

"Uh huh" Zelph said, "Got any fire arrows?"

Before Link could get these ready the caterpillers altered themselves and became fire resistant,

"Stasis!" Link called before embedding the sword and freezing the wall of caterpillers, "We can't let them know what we're using against them or they'll change, they're not going to attack exactly more deflect our choices against us"

"So how do we stop them?" Zelph asked

Link took out three bombs, one after the other and squashed them into the wall of caterpillers before standing back as the stasis wore off and set off the bombs, destroying all the caterpillers at once.

From here they ventured into a new room.

This room was huge and oval in shape, there were three switches attached to the walls, with electrified barriers around them, that Link concluded would make the massive magnet on a chain above him work. There was a platform high up and at this moment he neither had a key, magnetic metal on his boots or a clue as to how he or Zelph were going to get up there.

One more step into the room and a fire Lizard jumped onto Link' back and knocked him to the floor,

Link groaned as Zelph speared it with an arrow so the Lizard would come after her instead, then while Link ate a jelly heart she took a swipe for his spear,

Link slashed the Tri-force symble into the lizard' back and it blew up into purple smoke with a cry of pain.

One of the barriers around one of the switches was deactivated.

"No, let's wait" Link said as Zelph went to activate the switch,

Dust rained down from the ceiling and formed into two Skelfos, neither of which would give Link the time he needed to use Stasis on them,

When these things hit they hurt,

Link defended with the sword while Zelph rumaged through Link' satchel for a bomb that she then secured to an arrow and used to blow up one of the skelfos,

Link was stunned for a few seconds,

"Sorry Link" She said

"A little warning" Link said, "Nice work"

Zelph smiled and distracted the remaining Skelfos so Link could use a bomb arrow on it this time. Once this Skelfos was dealt with, just as Link had thought the barrier around another switch was deactivated,

Link and Zelph looked at each other just as the lights went out, suddenly they were surrounded by three phantoms,

Zelph would use a light arrow to make them whole, Link would slash a piece of the Tri-force into their backs with his sword,

Once Link and Zelph had dealt with all three they combined into one phantom and Link and Zelph had to play light ball tennis with it,

She knew she shouldn't be but Zelph thoroughly enjoyed this part of the battle,

Eventually they got the better of the phantom and with a slash of the full Tri-force symbol the phantom blew up into purple smoke and the barrier around the last switch was deactivated,

Now Zelph and Link could activate the switches,

Not only did it cause the bars in Borack' cell to come down a little it created a cyclone in the centre of the room that the magnet on the chain started swinging past.

Zelph gave Link one of the metal boots and helped him to the middle, once there they were pulled up to the magnet above and swung around the room with it until they were above the platform they needed to be on.

They unclipped the boots and dropped, the boots dropped with them and Zelph put both on again while Link replaced his missing boot. The key to the door on this platform dropped from the magnet and Link had to reach out and grab it to stop it from falling to the ground far below,

Link sighed with relief and he and Zelph venutred through the door.

Here Link and Zelph found another cart and track over a void, they got into the cart and kept an eye out for fire keese so they could take them out before they could be noticed by them, while also using their bodies to tilt and turn the cart until they finally reached the next blockage. This one was just a collapse of the wall but it made Link suspicious.

He was right to be too because after blowing up the wall with a bomb arrow the cart just kept going,

Link and Zelph jumped back in and found themselves in another large oval shaped room, this floor was made up of moving cogs, they had to get into the centre of the room, to do this they needed to work their way around the room, connecting onto a smaller cog, and so on until they were in the centre.

As the cart they were in moved round, Link and Zelph noticed diamond shaped switches with sad faces below them,

Link hit one as they past it, with an arrow, and the face smiled but this was the wrong switch and around they went on the same track again,"Wait, remember the shadow of the waker temple? Look at the diamonds, the circle they connect into are a different colour" Zelph realised,

"Brilliant" Link said,

Once he had the right switches it was much easier to reach the centre. The cart still turned here and Link realised they had actualy travelled up at an angle and were now above the mechanism they'd activated in the other room.

Link swapped his boot for one of Zelph' and looked up at the ceiling,

There he found a switch that required the use of his hookshot, he used this to pull the switch down; the switch then disappeared up into the ceiling and a magnet on a chain came down, this magnet was activated and as it started to spin it took Link and Zelph up,

"I'm not a fan of this angle Link, I have to tell you" Zelph said

Link just burst out laughing.

Three floors below the bars on Borak' cell went down a little further and a shreek was heard from above.

As Link and Zelph dropped down to the next platform Link had a look of unease,

"What is it?" Zelph asked

"We haven't needed to use the hammer at all" Link said

At that moment the screeching reached them,

"What is that?" Zelph asked

"Don't know but it sounded like it was coming from all over" Link said,

With trepidation they ventured through the next door.

In this room they discovered a snake in the walls that fired lasers out at them from tiny holes, but what Link and Zelph also discovered were square tiles within the walls that looked different to all the others they had seen so far, while Zelph used her bow to make sure the snakes stayed away from Link, Link used the Goron Hammer on three tiles,

The whole room shook and revealed enough of the snakes for Link and Zelph to shoot their weak point with ice arrows, once the ice had shattered the snakes hid within the remaining structure and once again shot lasers at them,

This time Link and Zelph swapped angles and Link used the Goron hammer on the unusual tiles on the other side of the room.

Once again Link and Zelph used the ice arrows on the snakes but unlike the last time when they un-froze, this time they went mad and caused the ground to crack open in places with a massive drop to a larva pit beneath,

Link used the Goron hammer on the middle wall and the snakes were stunned, once on the ground Link used the finishig blow on them both and a chest appeared,

Within this chest was the "Boss key", Link smiled and looked all around for the door to the next room.

He had to blast it with a bomb arrow to gain them entry.

Beyond this door was a large but crumbling staircase that Link and Zelph had to use the hookshot to cross the most dangerous parts. How Borak ever got up here after escaping his captives once to even do what he had baffled Link.

Eventually they came out into the last large oval room and the mechanism. It was dark in here and then on the floor there came a purple Tri-force,

"Link between worlds" Zelph breathed

They heard the familiar laugh of Bathilda and out from the purple Tri-force she rose,

"You don't give up do you?" She taunted Link, Link got his sword out, "There's that temper"

"What has Colin got to do with this?!" Link snapped, "I saw him in a mirror in Wolf Link' house"

"Colin isn't your problem...a little weazle like him could never really be one of us, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and let you pass; with that beast of mine you're not likely to make it out of here alive anyway" The Sheika Leader said

She waved her right hand and activated the last magnet, which Link and Zelph used to reach the last platform and door out to the floor they needed to lower down to Borak.

Borak nodded and smiled as the last of the bars came down, however the larva was creating waves now and rising slowly and it was concerning him.

Link and Zelph used two chains diagonal from each other to lower the platform to the door, behind which was the beast,

With a deep breath they used the key and stepped inside.

In the centre of the room was a giant spider with metal armour on it and a track but no cart,

There were several platforms at different heights too, with jars available to them,

Using the track like a ladder they climbed up and around, trying desperately to avoid the legs and fangs thrashing around at them,

After what seemed like an age they got to the top,

Link then startled Zelph by leaping off and embedding his sword into the eye of the spider in the centre,

The spider seemed to deflate and it's legs went askew,

Link did a spin attack and started his climb once more while the legs regenerated and Zelph shot a few light arrows at the eye for good mesure.

Twice more and the spider was dead but Link didn't have time to rest as the room started to collapse, Zelph had to jump from platform to platform as the track crashed down, she and Link then had to run from the room and jump down to the platform now rolling down to meet Borak,

Borak rolled across as the platform reached him and Link and Zelph ran after, after realising the platform wasn't stopping,

As they got to the other side the platform vanished into the larva, which splashed up,

The ceiling started to fall then as Borak, Link and Zelph ran through the tunnel and back into the room with the wrestling ring in it.

The Gorons there, leader included, looked up as a plume of dust followed Borak, Link and Zelph and after a stunned silence Borak breathed, while gesturing towards the mines

"I'd give it a minute"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **The Eye of Truth andAnother Great Fairy**

Link, Zelph and Borak were alarmed by the cold breeze wafting out from the cave with the tunnel within, that Link and Zelph had used to get here,

"Was it really that cold?" Borak asked

"No it wasn't" Link said, "If anything it was hot, I don't get it"

Into the cave behind the scared spring they ventured, and there they found that the tunnel back to The Lost Woods was completely frozen over.

"It's not just the tunnel Link" Zane' voice told them, "The entire Lost Woods has frozen over, Kokiri and Ordon and even that portion of Old Hyrule Field is covered in snow, it's coming from Zora' Domain. We located a statue holder in Kakoriko village by the way"

Link looked at Borak,

"That's going to be a problem. How are we going to get Zelda on the Goron trail?"

"Couldn't we dress her up like a man?" Borak asked

"You know something? That's not the worst idea" Link replied

Link and Borak went all over Kakoriko Gorge, borrowing or buying mens clothes, then they spent three hours putting them to Zelph or altering them and having her parade around the cave until they found an outfit that was passable,

"You look like Shiek from OOT" Link said

"Well she was an anscestor" Zelph said

"Don't talk" Borak said

"What if I get asked a question by the Gorons at Death Mountain?" Zelph asked

"We'll tell them you're a training monk, on route to Old Hyrule and have taken a vow of silence" Link said

"That might work I suppose" Zelph said doubfully, "I'll need a robe then"

So they found her a robe and as the sun set in the sky they made their way towards Death Mountain, along a dangerous road with canyons on one side and cracking cliffs on the other,

Eventually they came out onto a large field with four shimmering mirrors dotted around,

"Ah...what do we do now?" Link asked

"Well let's see, from the stories I've been told one will take you to Old Hyrule, it links in with Gerudo Desert and Egypt, one will lead to the Zoras of TP, one to the Death Mountain trail via the Goron Cave and the last will take you to the era of the Wolf and the same village, just flipped the other way like when they released the game on Switch; it was flipped the other way around from the Wii version" Borak said

"So how do we figure out which way to go?" Zelph asked

"If we had the Eye of Truth it'd be easy" Borak said

"That thing exists!?" Link exclaimed

"Of course and it's hidden but not at the bottom of the well...it's in a tomb in Kakoriko graveyard"

Link and Zelph look at him,

"Nope" Link said with a shake of the head, "Let's go for the third mirror, maybe we'll get lucky"

With Link leading the way, he, Zelph and Borak ventured through mirror 3 and found themselves face to face with a fire lizard,

"What are these things doing in here?!" Borak exclaimed, picking it up by the tail and firing it into the larva pit before them,

"We haven't gone back in time have we?" Zelph asked and they took a step closer to a large bridge between the platform they were standing on and the exit to the cave,

"No" Borak said picking up a disguarded newspaper, "Maybe they crawled down from Death Mountain last time we were under attack"

"Makes sense, none of us ventured into this cave, this is the child Link dungeon of OOT" Link pointed out,

This was accepted and they ventured half way across the bridge, which dropped down from beneath them quite dramatically, well they were teenagers, not children, weren't they?

They backed up and Borak did a Goron spin across to the entrance of the cave, Link looked around for something his hookshot might grab onto and used this to get himself and Zelph across.

Borak was spotted by a number of Gorons as he stepped out of the caves with Link and Zelph and soon word of his return had reached Goron City,

There was a large thundering sound as residents of Goron City came rolling down the winding path or off the ledges in a bid to be first to greet Borak,

"Where have you been Borak?!" A Goron asked, shoving a speakerphone in his face

"I was trapped by the Twilight Sheika up in the Goron Mines of Kakoriko Gorge and if it wasn't for Link and his friend here, I'd still be there" Borak told them,

Now the Goron' fought to get close to Link and Zelph.

After a barrage of questions Borak established that his parents were still in America and Link and Zelph escaped to Kakoriko Village, where the calmness of the place afforded them the chance to breathe a sigh of relief,

"We won't be seeing Borak again any time soon" Link said

"I need to get out of these clothes" Zelph complained

"Not yet, what if the Great Fairy Fountain is at the top of Death Mountain? You wouldn't make me go up there on my own would you?" Link said in question

"If you like the outfit that much you can have it" Zelph told him

Link and Zelph were worried about the Zoras as they wondered about the village looking for the game that held the mini statue as a prize. They were so distracted they actually passed it four times.

It was a shooting gallery, for archers but the owner wouldn't let Zelph play for the statue,

"It has to be Link" The Archer said,

"That's so unfair, I'm the best archer in Hyrule!" Zelph complained

"Modest much?" The Archer replied

"I...realise that sounded a little...Link is better with the sword, can't he use that to break the Rupees?"

"No!" The Archer exclaimed

"I've got this" Link said,

"No using Stasis!" The Archer said with a point

"I've still got this" Link said

He really didn't. It was gone midnight before he got even close to getting enough points for the statue, but by then there were no more Rupees to shoot,

"I'm done" The Archer complained,

"Come on, I've got it now" Link said, "So I'm having an off day!"

"Off day!? I've no more Rupees left! I have to shut up shop and farm them or venture out into Earth' realm and find a Euro-de change now!"

This made Zelph laugh,

"Can't he do something else to get the statue? We need it!" She asked once she'd stopped laughing,

"Come to the chicken farm tomorrow and if he can shoot 10 pumkins in a row in one minute I will give him the statue"

Zane came by to visit Link upon him and Zelph retiring to Impa' old house,

he sat next to Link as Link groaned and cried and moaned about the pain in his arm from all the arrows he'd had to fire,

"What happened to you today Link? You're not yourself at all" Zane said

"I can't stop thinking about the Zoras or Kokiri for that matter, Nanna and Mya" Link said

"They're all fine it's the Zoras that aren't, they're all frozen" Zane told him, feeding Link a jelly heart, "It was a Sheika Spell"

"Does that mean Aqua never left Zora' Domain? We might actually find him there?" Zelph asked

"It's quite possible but I'd need the mini statue to be sure...maybe you need some stamina potion, I'll go get you some" Zane said and with that he left.

Ten minutes later Zane returned with the stamina potion for Link,

"Just don't ask me what they put in it" Zane told him,

Link frowned at Zane and then drank the lime green potion,

Suddenly he was wide awake, up on his feet, firing arrows at anything circular, on and on this went until day broke and they went out to the chicken farm to meet the Archer, still very much disgruntled about not having any Rupees left for people to shoot at his range,

"You ready? You get one chance at this" The Archer said

"Throw a pumpkin" Link said, still buzzing,

The Archer started throwing pumpkins across the field and his line of view while the farmer counted down the minute,

Link got 18 and won the statue but though Link, Zelph and Zane were thrilled the farmer was upset,

"18 pumpkins, a bad shot you said" He said, glaring at the Archer, "The Yetis are expecting an order of 30, I only have 12 now"

Link counted on his hand to see if he was right,

"Look, how was I supposed to know Link would suddenly learn how to shoot propperly without using Stasis?" The Archer said

"Hey!" Link cried offended, "Look, I'm upset about the Zoras! They've frozen over!" The farmer and the Archer looked at him in shock and then at Zelph as she nodded, "I was distracted, I can get you more pumpkins from Ordon, just as soon as I've rescued the Zoras but we can't unless we find Aqua, without the statue I couldn't even locate him, let alone the next Great Fairy Fountain"

"That's up the top of Death Mountain but you won't be able to reach it without the Eye of Truth" The Archer told him,

"Say what now?" Link asked

"There's an invisible walkway between the edge of the summet and the statue, the statue itself is invisible until you've put the mini statue in place" The farmer said, "Did you not know that?"

"So I have to...go down a tomb to retrieve it?" Link said in question

"Yeah, yeah you do, you'll need to play the song of storms backwards for the headstone you need to reveal itself" The Archer told him,

Zelph' eyes widen,

"You're doing this with me" Link told her with a point before she could protest,

"It only works at night!" The Archer called after them as they bolted from the chicken farm,

"Of course it does!" Link exclaimed

Link wasn't waiting and used the sun song to set the sun,

He and Zelph then used a series of boxes to climb up and over the locked fence to get into the graveyard. Here they saw Dempi' ghost, something they soon realised they needed to avoid, for every time they were spotted they got fired back over the fence.

Eventually they got to a shaded area, unlit by the moon and Link played the song of storms backwards,

The grave opening by itself got Dempi' attention but now his persona changed,

Dempi was now beckoning Link and Zelph,

Link and Zelph crept out and met him,

"I seek the Eye of Truth, I am Link" Link told him,

"If you can follow but avoid my sight and fire I will lead you to the Eye of Truth" Dempi told him

Link nodded and allowed Dempi to jump into the tomb first,

Link and Zelph jumped in after and screamed as they fell.

At first Link and Zelph were terrified as they took on monsters and Re-Dead' and tried to follow Dempi without being noticed or avoid the flames he dropped behind him but after a few failed attempts and they realised the monsters they destroyed didn't return they found it easier to concentrate and to hide from out of Dempi' sight.

With seconds to spare Link and Zelph made it out of the tomb and found themselves in a room full of treasure, within an abandoned house,

"I don't need it anymore, have it" Dempi said referring to the Rupees scattered all around,

Link already knew what he was going to do with this but right now all he wanted was the Eye of Truth,

"Where is the Eye of Truth?" Link asked Dempi

"It is being guarded by the Skultula, behind the puzzle painting above the fireplace you just walked out of" He told them and with that he was gone, dropping the lit lantern as he disappeared,

Zelph caught it before the whole place could catch alight,

Zelph and Link solved the puzzle, jumped back as it crashed to the ground and Link dealt with the Skultula,

Behind this was the Eye of Truth,

Link was delighted as he grabbed it and held it up like in the game,

Zelph shook her head and they stumbled out of the house.

This house was just behind the watermill.

Link and Zelph climbed the ladder, up to the ledge where the Watermill sat and looked out at the village. The sun was starting to rise and everyone was walking in slow motion,

Link and Zelph looked at each other and Link played the song of storms forwards, this made everyone walk normally but just like in the game, it drained the well,

The man standing by the well looked up at Link and raised an eyebrow,

"Really Link?"

"You were all in slow mo, I had to do something" Link replied

"I'll be at Mackro if anyone needs me!" He yelled to anyone listening,

Link bit his lip and then looked at Zelph,

"I want to meet the next Great Fairy" Zleph said in response to the look, "Can't you port me up there too?" He shook his head, "We're walking it then huh?"

Link and Zelph took their time and made their way up to Goron City for a heat proof outfit for Zelph,

He still had the one he'd used the last time and he wasn't looking forward to seeing the shop owner again after the way things had ended. The guardian dragon, appalled by the shop owner' insisting on Link paying full price for the outfit because the hot spring water now flowed as it should, picked Link up by the claw and flew him down to Kakoriko Village where he knew the shop owner wouldn't dare tread.

The party for Borak' return was still in full swing,

"Hey Brother! I take it that your being here means you got the statue" Borak said, coming over to them with a rock cake in hand,

"Yes, and the Eye of Truth, now we need a fire proof outfit for Zel...I mean "The Monk"" Link replied,

"Say no more" Borak said

"Borak, why isn't the Princess aloud on Death Mountain?" Zelph asked

"It's dangerous, female Gorons live up in the quiet mountains in the human realm, not here and as for the Princess, apart from Link, the most important person in all of Hyrule, even risking you now, here, like this makes me ueasy" Borak told her honestly

It took some doing but Borak managed to secure a heat proof outfit for Zelph and after a private dip in the hot springs pool Link and Zelph set off up the trail to the summet of Death Mountain.

Once at the summet Link used the Eye of Truth to find the path across to the next large statue, in fact the statue itself.

The path was a difficult one with traps at every turn and choices to make that would make the trip across longer or shorter but they eventually made it,

Link placed the mini statue in and a door opened out for Link and Zelph.

They stepped through the door and stood on a platform that then lowered down to the next Great Fairy Fountain.

Zelph played her tune and the second Great Fairy shot up out of the water with a laugh that went straight through Link,

"I am the Great Fairy Din" She said, "Allow me to heal your wounds and bestow onto you a gift" Din showered Link and Zelph with healing energy, "I give you the power to melt ice if the thing you touch is a thing for which you have compassion for"

With that she screeched and laughed, shrank and disappeared back into the fountain,


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

 **Cold Fish**

Link and Zelph were in a hot springs pool on the Death Mountain trail when Borak found them. Both looked exhausted,

"I can't feel my legs anymore" Link moaned

"Brother, did you meet Din?" Borak asked

"We met her but now we have to get back to New Zealand so we can see what's going on up at Zoras' Domain but that's 27 hours away unless you can think of a quicker route" Link said

"Oh my God!" Borak exclaimed with a giggle

"What?" Zelph asked

"If you can call Epona to you from anywhere in the world you and ride her anywhere in the world, she travels through mirrors linking each area of Hyrule" Borak said

Link and Zelph got out of the hot spring and smiled at Borak,

"We couldn't do that before because?" Link said in question

"You never asked" Borak replied

"No, we didn't" Link said feeling stupid, "Where's the best place to pick her up?"

"I'd say just outside Kakoriko Village" Borak replied

Link and Zelph made sure to pack their white tunics into their satchels before leaving Kakoriko Village and once over the small bridge they called Epona to them, she appeared through a mirror within less than a minute and they heard her before they saw her.

Link smiled and cuddled her before mounting her and helping Zelph up too, through the mirror they went, allowing Epona to lead the way, she seemed to just sense where they needed to be,

Through the first of a few mirrors they found themselves in Pompii, they'd always wanted to visit it but they had to save Aqua and the other Zoras, still, to even pass through that town was immense for Link and Zelph.

"The story of this place has always facinated me" Link told Zelph as they past the casts of victims

"Are they real?" Zelph asked with a shiver.

A guide came up to them,

"No, the real...casts are elsewhere, we used them to model these, so the poses are real, we use 3D printing" Zelph and Link were told, "You have a beautiful horse"

"Thank you, her name is Epona" Link said,

"Would you like a guided tour?" The guide asked

"We'd love one but we're a bit tight on time" Link said full of regret,

"Come back when you're free, I'll take you round myself" The guide said, then shaking his hand she added, "I'm Fi"

Link and Zelph were stunned,

"You're not a Hylian?" Zelph said in question

"No, I'm from the clouds, it was Skyloft, then Skyloft crashed when the Goddess' power no longer kept us elevated, some chose to stay on The Surface, my family found a way to go back, only the Oocoo temple remains now, we are quite forgotten"

"Fi, I can assure you most definitely that we will be back here to see you" Link told her and with that they rode on,

"Epona, did you know she was here?" Zelph asked the horse

"You'd get a shock if she answered you" Link replied

Link and Zelph travelled onward through two mirrors, being afforded glimpses of old Hyrule as they went. Through parts of Rome, Japan, America and England, stopping off for hay and apples and grain for the horse, before finally coming to a stop by Lake Hylia.

The entire lake was frozen over, and coloured frogs were using magic to try and defrost the Zora' but to no avail.

Epona would travel no further, Link and Zelph would have to dismount,

"You're new power" Zelph said

"Will only work on Aqua, we need to get up to Zora' Domain" Link replied,

Link and Zelph ventured across to a potion shop, the door was frozen shut so they had to use boxes to climb onto the roof of the first section, then the ladder to the window atop of the second section, where they then climbed through.

Once inside Link went into the stock room to change while Zelph used this space, then once both were in white tunics Link used his lit torch to melt the ice blocking the door out. They had to be quick as the second the ice melted it started to return, worse than before.

Link and Zelph got out of the potion shop with the door wedged open.

The frogs came up to Link and Zelph and Link dropped his lit torch,

The frogs jumped around it and started croaking the theme for The Lost Woods,

Link smiled and the frogs created a heart pendant for Link and Zelph each.

They put these on and felt a renewed strength, in fact they were glowing,

"You're welcome" Link smiled

Link took Epona into the potion shop, made a nice comfy spot for her, got the fire going and made sure she had pleanty of hay and drinking water and grain and apples,

"Whatever this is, is only affecting the Zoras" Zelph said with thought

"I know what's missing" Link said suddenly and with that he left the potion shop,

Zelph rushed out after him.

Link didn't say a word all the way along the trail leading to Zora' Domain, or through the gates, along the path or on the journey to the palace atop of Zora' Domain. It wasn't until they were stood in the throne room in front of the frozen Zora king that he spoke again,

"His crown is missing, without the crown the Zora' are just...cold fish!" Link told her, "Without it they can't offer assistance or help"

"How did you figure that out?" Zelph asked

"After I replaced the Master Sword the 4th piece was transferred into your father' crown, the ruler of each civilisation has the same crown, they're all linked, with one of the crowns gone the Godnesses would have drained the power and frozen the Zoras, also freezing whatever or whoever took it" Link told her,

Link and Zelph ventured up to the King and realised there was a gap behind him and a tunnel leading up at a slant,

"OOT" Zelph said, "This is where Juba, Juba lives but we didn't come back this way last time"

"No, we didn't"

With great caution Link and Zelph squeezed past the Zora king and followed the enclosed path out to a shallow pool, in the centre of which was a massive tower shaped like a sword and made entirely of ice,

On the blade was the Sheika Symbol,

"Well we know what caused the temperature drop" Link said, "How did they do this...and where is Lord Juba, Juba?"

"Maybe the guards got him out" Zelph suggested

"Maybe" Link said sounding unconvinced and with that the two of them advanced on the sword of ice.

Guarding the door was a Freezard,

Link used a fire arrow on him to melt the top half and then had at it with the sword until he broke away,

Link then looked up to see Ice Ptyrodactils circling them,

They came at Link and Zelph when they saw them but as it was only the claws or dribble that could freeze them Link was able to slash away with the sword while Zelph would shoot the remaining one with light arrows,

They changed Ptyrodactils as and when they needed too until both blew up into purple smoke and a blue flame shot up from the ground to melt the doors into the sword of ice.

"Well that's new" Zelph remarked

Link and Zelph entered the sword of ice.

Link and Zelph were transfixed by the beauty within the sword of ice but also a little nervous, before them was a spiral staircase of ice, going all the way up, one unlocked door on the left and one locked door on the right, more doors at odd heights all along the stairs.

Link and Zelph turned their hands upside down to open the door on the left, red handprints appeared and the door rose up so they could get access to a small room.

In this room they could see nothing, but instead could hear the slither of snakes on the ice floor. Both Link and Zelph were frozen for a time until the door shut on them, blowing out all the torches and making the snakes visible.

Through trial and error Link and Zelph found the only point of the snake that could be damaged as they hopped about in a bid to avoid them.

Once all the snakes were dealt with the room was again lit up by torches and a key appeared suspended in the air. This concerned Link so he used the Eye of Truth and sure enough, right there before him was a ghost unaffected by light,

Link and Zelph were sent flying in either direction, Link hit the door they'd walked through and Zelph hit a mechanism that caused one wall to start moving inwards.

Link used his whistle to play the tune of cyclones to blow out the torches so he could deal with the ghost while Zelph felt around for what she thought was the same mechanism she had slammed into. Now the whole room started turning as the torches lit up the room again and the ghost screamed.

When the room went dark again upon Link playing the tuned of cyclones Zelph pulled at another mechanism, this made the ceiling go down a way. In the end it finished off the ghost for them and Link was able to slide and pull back the mechanism to stop the ceiling crushing them too.

Zelph then stopped the room turning and Link stopped the wall closing in with just four foot between their backs and the door out.

Link grabbed the key and then used fire arrows to melt the door and get out of the room, back into the main entrance,

"Anyone would think they wanted to kill us" Link said sarcastically,

Zelph shrugged as she caught her breath,

They walked across the now misshapened sword of ice to the locked door and used the key and their handprints to get inside the next room,

Here Link and Zelph had a puzzle to piece together on a time limit while being distracted by normal bats and the same snakes from the last room.

Link used his ears when dealing with the snakes but left the bats to it, whacking them away where need be.

With the puzzle solved they realised they had to climb on top of it to figure out what to do next.

The puzzle was a map, showing them which of the bats had the key to the next room. It had one distinct marking on it. Zelph used her arrows and Link used his eyes, targetting the bat they needed, once he'd found it.

The key dropped into Link' hand and the walls and ceiling moved until there was a set of stairs before them made of ice and a door atop of them.

With some effort and bruises gained Link and Zelph got up to and through the door to the next room.

Here they were shot at by three Sheika minions,

Once Link and Zelph had dealt with these the Moblins arrived from nowhere and at all angles and while this was going on the room was turning around and up so with every thrashing of the enemy the ceiling was getting closer to them.

Link used stasis to stop the floor rising and then the spin attack to finish off the enemies.

A hole in the ceiling opened out for them and Link and Zelph climbed through it.

They couldn't believe it when they found themselves back at the misshapen main entrance, and a laugh rang out.

Now angry Link and Zelph ran up the entire staircase after the laugh and blasted through five fake doors to get into the room second to top of this sword of ice,

Here they found a mirror maze with the Bathilda taunting them at every turn.

Once they got to the middle they were both plucked up by two large hands, into the room atop of the sword of ice.

The floor closed over and the hands dropped Link and Zelph,

They screamed as they landed and the owner of the hands laughed.

A huge yeti with red eye was stuck to the ceiling, surrounded by boulders of ice, accept in one of those boulders was a frozen Aqua.

The Yeti shook his hands to make a boulder fall and Link used stasis to stop it before it could land on the floor.

Link then took three swings to send the boulder up to hit the Yeti,

As the Yeti came down Zelph used the light arrows to break away some of the boulder holding Aqua, while Link slashed the first piece of the triforce symbol into the Yeti.

The Yeti jumped up and Link stepped back and grabbed Zelph out of the way as spears shot out of the walls either side.

Once again the Yeti shook his hands to make a boulder fall and Link used stasis to stop it before it could land on the floor.

Link then took three swings to send the boulder up and hit the Yeti,

Zelph shot at the boulder holding Aqua,

This time the spears came from behind and Link and Zelph got out of harms way.

The Yeti screeched and let them have at it his ice breath, freezeing both Link and Zelph for a time,

Zelph used her light arrows to shoot him down after thawing out this time and then shot at the boulder housing Aqua as Link finished off the Yeti.

The Yeti thrashed around and blew up into purple smoke,

Link and Zelph carried the frozen Aqua outside, onto a balcony atop of the sword of ice, where The Bathilder was waiting for them,

"You are starting to annoy me" Bathilda spat,

"No I'm not" Link replied,

Link and Zelph pushed the frozen Aqua off the wall, into the deep end of the unfrozen lake below,

Bathilda set off a bomb to make the tower like structure shapped like a sword come down.

Link grabbed the Deku leaf and Zelph and started to glide down.

Bathilda screamed in irritation and threw a disk at him, tearing the leaf and sending Link and Zelph into the ice water below.

Link and Zelph swam to a thick layer of ice as the Bathilda teleported away, the tunic didn't work when wet so they were loosing body heat fast.

Link used stasis and for the first time magnisis to raise the frozen Aqua out of the water,

Link and Zelph passed out as Link did the spell Din gave him to unfreeze Aqua.

"Link? Zelda?" He said in question and concern

Link and Zelph woke up on the hospital wing in Old Hyrule Castle,

Aqua smiled and Aeolius hopped off his bed and flapped his wings as they saw this,

"You're OK!" Aeolius exclaimed,

"Uh huh" Link said with no enthusiasm at all,

The King came over to them,

"Where is the crown? You got the crown back right?" He said

"What? No, we thought you had it!" Link cried, sitting up

"Why would we have it with a mole in the castle?" The King replied, then he sighed, "Oh dear"

"The Sheika didn't have it though" Zelph said,

"Well if you don't have it, the King doesn't have it and they don't have it who does?"

"You know there was someone missing" Link said, "Lord Juba, Juba"

"He's the same species as the giant fish just off Outset Island isn't he?" Aeolius said

"Why should that make a difference?" Zelph asked

"Who is to say he didn't take refuge with him?" Aqua suggested

"How would he get there though?" Link asked

"The Rito are the Zora' descendants too, Lord Juba, Juba lives with us Zora, with a Rito in Old Hyrule he'd have been able to call and reach the ears of other Rito, if we find him then maybe we'll find my father' crown" Aqua said

Once Link and Zelph had healed their wounds they went off with Aqua and Aeolius in search of an owl statue to use as a port to Rooster Island.

The bird wrapped its wings around all four of them and took off with them.

A few seconds later and a dazed Link, Zelph, Aqua and composed Aeolius were stood on the shore of Rooster Island.

"How are we getting to Outset Island?" Aqua asked

"We're not going by cyclone" Link said with a point

"I can carry you all, I couldn't get you here but I can get you there, hop on" Aeolius said.

Link, Zelph and a nervous Aqua climbed onto Aeolius' back and Aeolius flew with them out to the cave at Outset Island,

Here Aqua had to play the theme used in TP by the Zora Queen to open the entrance so they could fly in.

The entrance was sealed behind them and all four stared up at two huge fish,

"Lord Juba, Juba" Aqua began,

"Yes" The both answered

"We are looking for my father' crown, can you see where it might be?"

"It is within you" They both said,

"Huh?!" Link, Zelph, Aqua and Aeolius exclaimed,

"The Zoras are your heart so there for the crown melted as you froze and came to you to act as a sheild, it had the same affect as if the King of Hyrule had taken it on sensing your being in danger, hold out your hands, your people are safe now" They both said

Aqua did just this and the crown emerged from a glowing blue light.

Aqua, Link and Zelph left Aeolius and returned to Zora' Domain, where Aqua placed the crown on the frozen King' head, melting the ice and the snow and bringing all the Zora's back,

He turned and smiled at Link and Zelph then shared a hug with both,

"What's going on?" The Zora King asked, "Ah Link, Zelda, you're a little early for the diving competition but..."

"Father, they are not here for that...the Sheika, they froze me and trapped me within a tower made of ice, shaped like a sword, Lord Juba, Juba vactated and we thought he had your crown, turns out I had it, when it realised I was in was in danger it came to me to protect me and all of you" Aqua told him,

"This is proof that the time has come for me to retire and stand down from duties, you are now King of the Zora's of Old Hyrule and of the Descendants of Hi-Range" The Zora King said,

Aqua bowed,

"What do I have to do?" Aqua asked

"Be nice to people, organise events, keep the secrets of your people as and when they come to you with them, I store those in glowing orbs found at the bottom of a pool within the Great Deku Tree, I then return them to be guarded by Faron, the dragon. I call them pearls of wisdom. Attend meetings with the King of Hyrule. Step in if the descendants get into bother while in the learning stages of swimming and diving but you mustn't let them see you...ever" The Zora King said

As Aqua sat on the floor to listen to the The Zora King Link and Zelph quietly left them to it and headed back to Kokiri Village.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **Going Cucco and Beedle's Pricy Lift**

By the time Link and Zelph had reached Kokiri nearly all of the snow had melted apart from the odd snowman here and there that Mya had taught the Kokiri how to make but they were all missing parts now.

"Do you like them?" Mya asked Link, "I took pictures...did you know that it never snows here, even in the winter time?"

"Why would it? It's a different world, sharing its space with the one we grew up in" Link told her, "Is Zane around?"

Zane appeared behind Link and tapped him on the shoulder,

Link turned around and found Zane holding a Cucco,

"Your next game" Zane told him

"Involves Cucco'?" Link asked with trepidation

"Not afraid of Cucco's are you Link?" Zelph asked

"No" Link lied, thinking about all the times he smacked them with a sword in the game version, only to be pecked to death for the cheek, "The eyes...he knows what I did"

"What did you do?" Zelph asked

Link mumbled his confession,

"You what?" Mya asked

The Cucco flapped in Zane' arms to be put down and Link ran away.

"Right, so where are we going?" Zelph asked as Link continually looked over his shoulder, "Link! They didn't come after you the last year they're not going to come after you now, they have no connection to the Cucco' in the game...why did you hit them with the sword anyway?"

"Come on, we've all done it" Link said trying not to laugh,

"That's not what I asked" Zelph said huffily,

"I'd just been beaten by the boss of a temple for the umpteenth time and it was annoying me so I was smashing pots and boxes and trees and the Cucco kept getting in my lie of fire, next thing I know I have a thousand Cucco' swarming me like Bees and a Game Over above my head" Link told her, "You never hit a Cucco?"

"No comment" Zelph said looking embarrassed, "Where are we going?"

"Back to Kakoriko Village, the farmland I shot Pumpkins for the last miniture statue, remember the game on the Ranch, we have to find 5 unique Cucco' in a set time" Link told her

"Uh oh...pick up the wrong one more than three times...we'll have a real life Cucco protest on our hands" Zelph said biting her lip

Link laughed at the wording more so than the senario.

The farmer looked up at Link and Zelph with a frown on his face as they ventured onto his land once more,

He was sitting in the middle of a coop,

"First my pumpkins and now my Cucco', I should have known"

"I was tired, he ran out of Rupees, you got the Pumpkins back didn't you?" Link said

"Not the point" The farmer huffed

"Who started this game?" Zelph asked

"I did but I didn't expect the King to deliver a statue for you, anyone else I wouldn't mind"

"Thanks!" Zelph huffed

"We house your stupid statues we're targets for Sheika" The farmer said

"Oh...I didn't know that" Zelph said

"It is kind of obvious" Link said, not helping the situation one bit, "So how many rounds are there to this game?"

The farmer stood up and grinned, his whole attitude altered in a way that would suggest he was delighted to have the custom and had never met Link or Princess Zelda in his life,

"There are three rounds to this game, three rounds Sir" The farmer said, "Round 1, locate five of my best Cucco' with the unique marking on the feathers of their backs in two minutes, if you can do that you'll go on to round 2. For this round you will be in the pen and the Cucco' will be chasing you for the treats attached to your backs, both of you, if either of you get hit more than three times you're out and that statue will be sold to the highest bidder"

"You can't do that!" Zelph screeched

"Show me a contract proving otherwise" The farmer said, "Round 3 pick a Cucco and race with me one lap around Kakoriko Village and the statue is yours"

"You're going to be minted by the end of the week" Link said with a hint of admiration

"I know...so, think you can take me on?" The farmer asked

"Uh huh!" Link nodded

Round 1 began the second Link put a foot on the ground of the coop,

The farmer even had the music from the Ranch playing full blast to panic and distract him, it made things so much harder for him,

He found the first Cucco, this had 4 odd feathers, after he found one with 5 feathers it was much easier, he found the next with 10 seconds left, the forth with 5 seconds left and the last Cucco, with only one unique feather on it with half a second to spare.

Zelph fell into the hay, relieved as the whistle was blown to signal that Link had won that round.

"How!?" The farmer yelled, "You were supposed to lose...I mean you were sure to lose"

"Once I realised your Cucco' were numbered it was easy" Link laughed

"I...I'm sure I don't know what you mean" The farmer said

"Ready for round 2?" Link asked

"Ready for round 2, you're sure to lose this one" The farmer replied

"Why do you want us to lose so bad?" Zelph asked

"I have to give you back the Rupees you spent if you win, I make money from the losses" The farmer told her

Round 2 began, with wicka baskets of grain attached to the backs of both Link and Zelph. The Cucco' were called but Link and Zelph were ready for them. Zelph used Link' grain, quickly grabbing and tossing all of it into the corner of the pen,

Link did the same for her when some of the Cucco', who couldn't get grain started to roud on her. Zelph jumped out of the way a few times until Link had all the grain on the other side of the pen.

The whistle was blown with no grain left.

"Impressed?" Zelph asked

"You got lucky" The farmer said unsportingly

Round 3, the farmer thought he really had one over on them now,

"Pick a Cucoo and start from the top of the viewing tower" He said

"While you do what?" Link asked suspicious

"Race you around the village" The farmer said innocently

"You mean, while we fly, which would make us slower than the average man, you run around the village and meet us back at this pen" Link said

"Uh..." Came his reply

"Pick a Cucco" Link said

The farmer sighed,

"How do you propose we get it up there to the top of the viewing tower?"

"We use my Whirlwind and boomerang" Link said with a grin

"Oh" The farmer said,

"Afraid of heights aren't you?" Zelph teased

"No...the Cucco's, no one ever flew one before" The farmer said

"So we jump from a not so drastic height first, one ledge to another" Link said

The three of them picked a Cucco each, climbed the steps to one ledge and jumped. To Link' great surprise the Cucco' were able to hold their weight as they glided across to the ledge on the other side of them. Link had, had his eyes opened to a lot of new things since the days of Shanklin' order but of this he was certain could not be true,

"Is there really a need for a third round?" Zelph asked

"I suppose it could be deemed a little dangerous" The farmer said

"Does that mean we can have the mini statue?" Link asked

The farmer sighed and went off to get the mini statue for them.

With the mini statue in hand they took it back to Hi-Range to be viewed by Zane. Zane placed it on the map and the mini statue floated off the table,

"Another unexplored area...or maybe not, it's from Skyward' era" Zane told Link and Zelph

"But that's perfect" Link said, "If we can find something of the orginial "Surface" then perhaps we'll find something the settlers left behind in their quest to return to Skyloft or the Oocoo"

"I don't know" Zane said doubtfully

"We know someone, who would know" Zelph said, "Fi!"

"Hello" Zane said

"Not you, Fi, the tour guide from Skyloft, she works in Pompii" Zelph said

"Oh...they named someone in Skyloft after me?" Zane said in question with a smile

Not wanting to waste any valuable time the three ventured back to Pompii, it was dark by the time they reached the place so Link used the song of light to bring about the start of a new day. As the crowds started to arrive on coaches Link, Zelph and Zane went off in search of Fi,

Fi was working in the gift shop right now and was more than happy to give them a guided tour. Fi told them they could talk shop just as soon as the tour was over, they couldn't miss this for anything. It was nice for Link and Zelph, for Zane even to just be a tourest for a few minutes. They took in the paintings on the walls, some of which had been restored using paints used back then, in the buildings still standing after all this time. They were told about the jobs they knew certain people had based on the research they had conducted and the casts of the people of Pompii.

They aslo saw what was left of their Gladiator arena, which thrilled Link and Zelph equally.

Finally they sat on a viewing bench overlooking the city and Link explained everything to Fi,

"So the Great Fairy is in Skyloft" Fi said summerising, they showed her a picture of where the mini statue had placed itself, "Yes I see, Hyrule was established in Faron. Then after a number of Earthquakes Hyrule sank, leaving this ancient, walled city known to some as The Great Platow" Fi told Link

The Platow now made sense to Link, the entire time he had played BOTW he couldn't work out how, where, why or when the very area his computer self started came to be,

"How do we get up to Skyloft?" Zelph asked

"How many Rupees do you have?" Fi asked

"Why?" Link asked suspicious

"He won't let you ride for free" Fi said

"Beedle!" Link exclaimed, "Beedle is real!"

"He gets his business from the Rito these days, and the Deku Scrubs" Fi told them

"Where can we find him? How can we get his attention?" Zelph asked

"Ordon is a personal favourite for him, he sleeps on a ledge on the stream there on occasion and talks to the owl, that sits and waits patiently for a call" Fi told them, "The Lost Woods too"

Link looked at Zane,

"Zelph is the daughter of the King of Hyrule we have the Rupees for Beedle" Zane told him,

"Alright, let's go and find Beedle...how do we get him to land though?" Link said in question

"You need to make friends with a Deku Scrub"

Finding Deku Scrubs wasn't the issue, befriending one on the other hand...

"What do you really want with Beedle?" A Deku Scrub asked for the hundreth time

"I told you, we just want a lift to Skyloft" Link said losing his paitence

"What if he's selling something we want?" The Deku Scrub asked

"Then we'll sell it back to you" Link suggested

"Hmm...at a third of the cost?" The Deku Scrub asked

Link looked up, Beedle was peddling over the Lost Wood for the fifth time since they'd found this latest Deku Scrub,

"Deal, now please call Beedle down" Link pleaded

The little Deku Scrub blew a big pink bubble and sent it up into the air towards a bell at the bottom of Beedle' air shop.

The bell rang and Beedle lowered a ladder that Link, Zelph and Zane grabbed ahold of,

Beedle then flew off with them still on the ladder,

"Oh! Who do you think you are hitching a ride on my ladder!" Came Beedle' voice from somewhere above, enphasising the "Oh!" exactly as his character did in the game

"Customers, we're customers and we didn't know how else to call you!" Zelph called up

"Oh! Well come aboard!" Came his voice and the ladder rose. Once inside they found Beedle peddling a bike that was attached to a mechanism, attached to two giant wings either side of the shop.

As Link expected the items in the shop were either useless and expensive or useful but no price tag attached, "What can I do for you?" He asked

"Well we'd like you to take us to Skyloft please and to...buy this" Link began, picking up a ring, "We would like to buy this!"

"Link! I can't marry a knight" Zelph said though entranced by the ring

"Shut up" Link said,

"That's a warp map" Zane said inspecting it, then to Beedle he added, "How did you get this?"

"Buy it and I'll tell you" Beedle said,

"How much? There's no price" Link said

"10,000 Rupees" Beedle said

"Never!" Link snapped

Beedle reached for a lever,

"Wait, wait wait! We have the money!" Zane said

"Bargin for it! I never paid that much for anything in any Zelda game!" Link exclaimed astonished

"Oh very well...what would you pay for it?" Beedle asked

"I...I don't know, this wasn't in the game, what does it do?"

"It allows you to track your enemy and in the event warp ahead to stop them, it shouldn't even be on the shelf, give it back" Beedle said

"Who sold it to you?" Zane asked

"Some knight, had a name like a pillar" Beedle said

"Colin?" Link asked

"That's it" Beedle said

"He clearly wanted Link to have this, how much did you pay him?"

"5,000 Rupees...I sell it with an interest" Beedle said, "10,000 plus something on the shelf that is for sale and I'll get you to Skyloft"

"You're cheaper in the games!" Link exclaimed, then as Beedle reached for the lever he said, "Alright! 10,000 for the ring and information! Pluss 20 Deku Seeds"

"You don't have the purse" Beedle said

"Fine the purse too but that's it! How much is it?" Link asked

"400 Rupees"

"Lower" Zane said

"Sure!" Beedle said, flying down and sending all but the items on the shelf flying

"Higher!" Zelph yelled

"600 Rupees and 10 Rupees for every mile between here and Skyloft" Beedle beamed

In the end they had to fold and as Beedle dropped them on the floating ruins of Skyloft he took away a grand total of 1811 Rupees for the ring, a purse and 20 Decku Seeds they were certain they'd never need and another 2011 Rupees for his knowledge, which was nothing, and the lift to Skyloft,

As Beedle cried an enphasised "Thank you!" Link jumped up and down on the spot,

"Link, it's not your money" Zelph pointed out

"No...don't you get it? The Skyward Sword game was released on the 18th November 2011, 1811 for the items and 2011 for the Skyward lift! Man is a genius...I hate him" Link exclaimed

"What's all this about with Colin?" Zelph asked

"It's more to do with his family, Colin wouldn't play us...would he?" Link said suddenly uncertain

"We don't know him that well" Zelph said

"Well...I know it's a long shot but why don't we see if there's a connection between him, his family and the Colin of Skyloft while we're here?" Link suggested

Link, Zelph and Zane could see the school from where they were standing, getting to it however was aother matter for there was a gap between the second to last step and the lawn in front of the building.

Zane shrunk down to fairy size and flew across the gap to the lawn, where he then returned to his human size and wedged a light but sturdy box between the gap so Link and Zelph could simply step across.

"Thanks...I can't actually believe that worked" Link said

At this moment the box broke,

"We'll find another way back" Zane said

The door needed a little pursuading but they got it open eventually and ventured into the training school.

It looked just like it did in the game only darker, and as no pictures from it's hay day existed they summerised that a developer of the game had to have come up here in the early stages. The names of all the students were on the doors as expected,

"How did they manage to get Skyloft airbourne again?" Zelph asked

"That's a good point" Link said

"The three Godnesses reclaimed the land in case of a flood but as you know the flood only takes place in the adult Link time line but they didn't know that then" Zane told them

"So does that make this Outset Island?" Link asked

"No, this is Windfall Island" Zane told him

Link realised they were standing in front of Groose' room and a wicked thought came into his mind,

"Toilet ghost" Link grined

"You gave it the letter didn't you?!" Zelph exclaimed, "You can be really mean at times Link"

They turned when a door creeked open and a ghost head poked out,

"Link? That you?"

It was ghost Colin from Skyward Sword' era,

"Yes" Came a reply

Skyward Link walked out of Link' Master Sword and walked up to him,

"I failed Link" Colin said

"You didn't really want to be a knight did you?" Skyward Link asked

"No but mum and dad did" Colin wept, "Oh Link you have to help me"

"Colin" Skyward Link said sensitively

"My future is at risk" Colin told him,

Link shivered,

Colin lead Skyward Link into his room,

With a look from Skyward Link, Link, Zelph and Zane followed,

What was Colin' secret?


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **A secret, A Great Fairy and The Oocoo Factory**

Colin of Skyloft sat at his desk and looked at Skyward Link in the mirror. In place of Link, Zelph and Zane were three coloured orbs, one blue, one red, one green.

"I did what you asked but you never told me why" Skyward Link said

"They want to rule the Surface, mum and dad, but they can't do it alone. They're aim was to get hold of the Phantom Hourglass and then use it to capture the three Godesses, the Godess they say was incarnated as Zelda, the Head Master' daughter" Skyward Colin wept, "I couldn't let them do that, what makes them think they could even withstand the power of the Godesses, it's not like they wouldn't be able to realise they were being tricked once called"

"Called by a Knight?" Skyward Link asked

"Zelda' knight...I told mum and dad it was that of the King' so now you see" Colin said, then turning to look at Skyward Link he added, "No one in my family must be aloud to become a Knight to Zelda or any King thereafter, not now everyone else knows about the Surface. It won't be long before this whole island comes crashing down too...hide me Link"

Link' heart was pounding as Colin faded away and Skyward Link turned to look at him,

"I didn't know...I didn't believe any of this back then" Link told Skyward Link

"Like the Godess' spirit living within Zelda so too has the Spirit of the real Sheika Leader ridden through time, waiting for her moment to steal the Phantom Hourglass, Bathilda' want to kill Zelda to rid her and her family of the curse Ganondolf placed was just what she needed, a human male too, she never left that realm but the minions did. Colin' father was left to raise Colin until she could get out of the twilight, one of them had to succeed. Colin couldn't live in twilight so the twilight banished him to Earth, if she could use the hourglass to capture the souls of the three Godesses that created Hyrule, it'd be the grandest of revenge plots would it not?" Skyward Link told him,

"I feel like I would have helped Colin still, even if I had known, I'd never damn someone for something a relative had done...the waiter at the hotel, he was Shanklin' son, he went up against his own father twice" Link said, "What do we do now?"

"You need to rescue the Oocoos. It's not just their Princess that's been captured, the others were locked up all over their Factory" Zane told Link,

"We have to find the next Great Fairy too" Zelph reminded them

Skyward Link remained out of the sword for a while in order to get Link and Zelph to reach the Great Fairy statue, at the highest point of the island,

He didn't need to worry about Zane, Zane could fly on ahead at Navi size,

"I'll see if I can find the Factory while you're doing that" Zane said,

Link and Zelph were fine with this, what they weren't fine with though was having to use the now uneven slope up to the cave behind the waterfall, which was dangerous when the wind blew,

"Don't worry!" Skyward Link called

"Easy for you to say you're a memory" Zelph called back

"If you fall the Loftwings will catch you" Skyward Link replied

As it turned out this wasn't required, there was a break enough in the wind to allow them safe passage to the cave behind the waterfall.

Within the cave Link had to fight off Chu Chu'sand bats while Skyward Link had to fight off memories of Chu Chu's and bats. Only now did he wish he was back in the sword.

Onwards and upwards they went, though some parts of the cave had collapsed in so Link used the bombs to clear it, which in all fairness could have gone quite badly.

Thankfully for them it didn't and they were able to continue.

Out on this ledge that appeared to be narrower than in the game Link had to cofront his very recent fear of heights, thanks to Aeolius, and he stood with his back and his hands to the wall, which sloped and added to his fear of falling,

"How much further?" Link asked teary eyed

"It's just up ahead...hey have you still got your hookshot? You're going to need it" Skyward Link called,

As they turned a corner Link and Zelph found there to be a huge gap between them and the next ledge.

Skyward Link pointed out the vines on the bottom of the ledge above before using his clawshot to hook it, swing across, jump and roll,

Link had Zelph got a firm grip on him and used the hookshot to grapple the vines above and get them safely across to the other side.

Once again they climbed, round and round, up and over the cubby where Skyward Link' Loftwing had once been held by Groose, and then around once more until they found a place for the mini statue on the floor but the statue housing the Great Fairy didn't appear here, instead it rose from out of a pool on a pillar in the centre of the pool at the botom of the waterfall,

Skyward Link glided across,

Link and Zelph did the same with their newly mended Korok leaf and into the statue housing the Great Fairy they went.

There were many curved steps going down to the pool where this Great Fairy lived and with each careful step down he was dreading that high pitched screech more and more.

After five long minutes they came upon the next Great Fairy, Link played Zelda' theme and out she jumped with a cry of witch like laughter,

"Welcome Link" She said blowing him a kiss that made him recoil, "Allow me to bestow onto you this power...the Time Gem, if being pursude by an enemy you can alter time in a small space to make them come unstuck, this may also help you at the Factory you must go to now, if battle finds you weary come back and see me"

With the yellow gem in his hand she laughed and disappeared back into her pool.

Link looked at the steps he and Zelph now had to climb back up. Skyward Link had stayed outside, for this portion if the quest did not involve him,

"Why can't there be a port out of here?" Link asked

As if by magic a light appeared at the bottom of the steps and as Link and Zelph stepped into it they both found themselves suddenly weightless and floating upwards.

Not a miute later and they shot out of the head of the statue and floated down to the ledge, where Skyward Link and Zane were waiting for them,

"I've found it" Zane said

Once they were back on the ground Zane and Skyward Link found a safe route for Link and Zelph to follow, across to the other side of the floating city where they came to a broken bird statue with two red stones in the eyes, next to it, on the ledge was a blue Loftwing with a golden beak,

"The factory is what became of the temple that housed the Triforce" Zane said, "Which is now over there" He added, pointing out a square shaped building with several towers attached,

"Zelda' loft wing will take you there" Skyward Link told Link, "Once you've left I'll go back to the sword"

Link nodded and then looked at Zelph,

They both mounted the Loftwing and looked at Zane,

"You staying?" Link asked him

Zane nodded.

Link could sense something was amiss but trusted his friend no end and so meerly nodded and flew the Loftwing the short distance across to the Oocoo Factory.

Skyward Link looked at Zane,

"Only he has the strength to end this" Skyward Link said

"I know but Colin needs a friend"

With that, as Skyward Link went back to the sword Zane used the ring to find Colin and disappeared into it.

The Loftwing landed on a ledge outside the front entrance to the factory, they could see, as the Loftwing flew off again they'd need to reverse time for the entrance was blocked by stones far too heavy for Link, even with the Goron bracelette,

Link took out the gem and trianed the light that came from it at their direct path, then with the rubble clear, the creepy Oocoo chirping that sounded like eerie music they advanced forward,

"Wait Link, we need to be sure of our footing before we go any further" Zelph said,

"Yep" Link gulped and with that they backed up and took the gem out of range, the ground was breaking away in places as it did in the game, "Good call Zelda"

"You're the only one I'll take that from" Zelph said,

"Do you know how many people call me Zelda?" Link asked her, then as she laughed he shook his head, "Never mind...now we know the parts of the floor we can't step on, we can use that knowledge and the gem to get across to the other corner over there and that door"

The door to which he referred was at a diagonal, there weren't any places he could use his hookshot but there were pipes,

Link knew therewould have to be a movable platform there for,

He had Zelph held the gem up for him so he could find the movable platform. Right now it was all the way across the other side of the room so he used the boomerang to move the fans in the centre of it, a whirlwind would have been too powerful,

He moved the first platform to the right until it was centre to them, he then targeted the platform behind this one and used the whirlwind tune to make it slam into the platform they needed and move it for them.

Link and Zelph stepped aboard, placed the gem in a handy slot and realised there were two red metal wheels on either side of the pillar at the centre of the platform, if you moved one left and one right the propellers at the top rotated and moved the plaform one way, if you reversed this the reverse would happen yet if Zelph and Link moved the wheel the same way they'd stop dead.

They worked together to get to the end of the room,

"Rotate to the left to change direction" Link read aloud the sign on the platform,

Link shivered,

"What?" Zelph asked as they worked together to move the pillar,

"We can see this because of the gem, to the untrained eye...?" Link began

"Don't say it" Zelph pleaded

"We're suspended in mid air, one slip of that gem and we fall to our deaths...do fairies work in this world like they do in games?" Link continued

"He said it" Zelph groaned,

They reached the platform they needed to be on, but Link was astonished to realise that what he thought was a door was actually a lock for the door on the other side of the room.

They also realised that behind the wall this lock was in came the sound of frightened Oocoos.

"Don't blast that wall yet!" Zelph cried, "Unlock the door on the other side first and then remove the gem and blast the wall"

"Doesn't matter that lock is in the past" Link said

"Link, in appearance it's in the past...think about it, what does that gem allow us to do?"

"It allows us to delve deeper into the factory...oh, I get it, it only looks new. Oh damn it Zelda now I'm freaking out again" Link said

He took at look at the lock and realised what he had to do, he placed the blade of his sword into it and turned it to the right,

The door across the room on the far right opened for them,

Now link could remove the gem and blast the wall to release some Oocoos,

"Thank you! Very much obliged, now must save Mumma!" The eldest of the group said, "If you need to leave for supplies give me a shout and my son will take you outside, I'll stay in whatever room you wish to leave so you can just go right back to it when you want to" And with that he just hopped into Link' satchel.

With some effort Link and Zelph made their way across to the only door available to them and ventured into the next room.

Here they found what looked to them like an empty swimming pool,

There were broken conveyor belts at two points of the room and four spaces for four orbs North, East, South and West, two high up and two low down.

Suspended from the ceiling were more Oocoos in a cage.

Link and Zelph edged their way around the empty pool to just above the first conveyor, that tilted down from high up one end of the room to just above their heads. Holding out the gem they saw a switch that needed to be activated at the highest end and with some effort they clambered up onto the now fully functioning conveyor belt and carefully made their way up to the top and the switch.

Link activated this with his sword, unsure of what it was they were actually supposed to be doing.

Bronze and silver mechanial parts started to make their way down the conveyor and Link and Zelph had to step over these so not to end up in the spiked wheel turning at the bottom.

"Link?" Zelph said with increasing alarm,

"Wait!" Link said after seeing a green glow,

Out on the conveyor appeared an orb, Link deactivated the conveyor and grinned at Zelph as he picked it up,

They worked their way back down to the bottom and left the orb on the edge of the pool which was now full but only in one part, it was very strange,

"Oh I've seen this happen in Japan" Link said

"You have?" Zelph asked in surprise,

"If there's an Earthquake sometimes it can actually part the sea two ways" Link told her, "I saw it from the air, we had to fly round in circles for one hour, we were lucky not to run out of fuel"

"Well I'll be, you learn something new every day" Zelph said

Link now activated the switch at the bottom of the conveyor and stepped over the mechanical parts that reversed until the next orb appeared.

Zelph picked this one up and lowered it after Link deactivated the conveyor again and they used the gem to reach the second, which was higher up and trickier to climb.

Once there they repeated their last action twice more only this time when they had the orb they placed it on the conveyor below.

Once they had all the orbs Link and Zelph used their satchels to house the orbs and grooves in the walls to place them into the right spaces for the orbs. Each space and orb had a unique image.

Once all the orbs were in place the Oocoos were released. As they could fly Link didn't need to do anything else and after many thanks he and Zelph returned to the main room.

The next switch to be activated was at the opposite end of the main room, to where they started. They used the platforms to get to it and then realised the next room was above them, now they had to use the switches either side of the central one for the door to alter where platforms would go.

They had to work together and turn the switches at the same moment in order to make the platform move up,

This moved round like a wheel and Link and Zelph had to time stepping onto it just right then move the wheels to make sure they were above the ledge with the next door on it. As Link and Zelph ventured into the next room the platform went round again, slammed into the ledge and broke it.

This next room was a large cylinder with the bottom completely out, there were ledges all the way up at various points and rings and all around them on the only place to stand on their level were ropes,

Link and Zelph looked up and could see a bubble with Oocoo' trapped inside,

"We have to build them a web to fall into" Link said, he picked up the first rope, which had hooks at either end, red in colour. It was very heavy, "Zelph, you keep a hold of the other end or hook it into that ring by the door so it does't go flying" He added,

Zelph dragged the other end of the rope Link was holding and hooked it onto the ring by the door. Link then used the hookshot after attaching himself to the rope and shot across the room to a ledge above. He unclipped his end of the rope and attached it to the ring.

Link used the Korok leaf to get back down to Zelph, unclipped the other end of the rope from the ring by the door, hooked it to himself then used the hookshot to get to another ledge, up at an angle.

On and on he had to do this until he had a tight enough web of ropes, however the more ropes he used the more places he lost for the hookshot and he had to climb through the ropes for the last few and pray they took his weight and the weight of the rope he was dragging up at odd angles with him.

He then had Zelph climb the net to the top and join him where the door to the next room was before using an arrow to cut the string so the bubble fell and popped on the net, releasing the Oocoo.

"Why didn't you pierce the bubble?" Zelph asked

"I might have hit an Oocoo" Link said, "They're starting to grow on me now" He added, nudging his head at the satchel he knew the Oocoo was sitting,

Zelph shook her head,

"They called the Princess Mumma" Zelph said

"Maybe she is their Mumma" Link said before venturing through the next door,

Zelph quickly followed before the door could shut on her.

Here they had a problem, there were trees growing out of free floating tiles and this didn't change in appearance at all even with the time gem. There were also two birds flying in and out and dive bombing them.

Link and Zelph chose different trees to climb so they could get a better look,

The bird' weak points were on their heads, so while Zelph used arrows on one Link used stasis on the other, before jumping onto it and slicing the Triforce into it's back.

As both birds blew up into purple smoke Link quickly dived back into the tree.

Link and Zelph then climbed the remaining branches of the taller trees to get to a ledge atop of the room. These trees did have leaves to start but the birds had set them on fire to stop Link and Zelph making progress.

The branches were hot to touch and singed their clothes in places but they made it...just.

Here Link and Zelph were captured by a giant Cuccu and carried off up to the top of the tallest tower in the factory,

"Well I think we know what happens if you hit a Cuccu enough times in this realm!" Link cried out.

Waiting for Link and Zelph was Bathilda,

The giant Cuccu droped Link and Zelph unceramoniously in a nest that then toppled with them in it, landing them at Bathilda' feet,

"This is where the line stops Link, this is where you die" She taunted as he tried to stand, "Don't get up" she added, then standing on his back she said, "No really, don't"

Link managed to get a jelly heart then overpowered Bathilda, much to her rage,

"Don't get up" Link said, sword outstretched, "No really, don't"

"You're not going to defeat me" Bathilda said with a dangerous tone,

"You have no power without the Phantom Hour Glass and Colin' family have their own agenda, they're not just going to let you take it and control the spirits you steal with the Godesses vacant from it to raise Ganon from his seal and even if you did the Great Fairies aren't dormant anymore, they'll be waiting for you. Zelda' blood won't end that curse, the only one, who could do that is Gandondolf, the one, who cursed you and he'd have to be a Garudo still. You're never going to be able to go that far back, not even I can go that far back. Now what have you done to Mumma Oocoo?"

"Link, look, this is the factory" Zelph called, having just seen a puzzle on the wall, "Depending on the layout of the building inside aids her escape or hinders it"

With Link distracted Bathilda was able to get up but Link used his senses and the fight between them started in earnest. While Zelph tried to solve the puzzle to help free the Mumma Oocoo Bathilda started using her powers to summon twilight creatures and throw posionous moss at Link, which Link shot back with his sheild,

The Sheild was soon damaged to seemingly beyond repair and he took it off and used a roof tile to do the job instead.

To Link' surprise and Bathilda' the shield repaired itself, just as the welder had promissed and with Bathilda distracted Link was finally able to get some hits in with the sword.

As Zelph freed the Oocoo Link completed the Triforce symbol, forcing her to her knees.

Before Bathilda could utter a word all the Oocoo' including Mumma swarmed, picked up Bathilda and carrried her off into the distance.

Link caught his breath then got knocked to the ground when Zelph jumped him for a hug,

"We did it!" She screeched,

Link just laughed his iconic laugh,

"It's not over yet" Link said, peeling Zelph off him and standing up, "Now we have to deal with Colin' father"

There was a nasty surprise waiting for Link and Zelph when they returned to Skyloft ruins. The warp ring on the ground and a note,

"Colin needed a friend...I'm sorry Link"

Tears filled Link' eyes


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

 **What Happened to Zane and the Shattered Hourglass**

"Who wrote this?" Link asked turning the note over in his hand,

"Maybe it was Skyward Link" Zelph suggested

"It was not" Skyward Link called before jumping back out of the sword, "He found Colin in the ring and went to him; if you want to know what's happened or where he is now hold the gem to the ring" He added

Link held the ring and Zelph held the gem up to it and Zane' last moments unfolded before their very eyes.

Zane appeared at the edge of the mine cart track from the desert, once a vast ocean, far below on the Surface.

Zane could see Colin tied to the track and could hear the laughter of his father just behind the bars where the carts were kept,

"I can't believe Colin thought he could stop us, I have his mother already in the hourglass, you can add to it whenever you want, and as for that other dumb Sheika Bathilda, well she deserved that curse from the Great One, not that we want him here, he'll only get in the way, too many people have got in the way lately" Zane had started to cross the track, which was dangerous now as he'd used too much power to get here. Suddenly he was spotted, "Hey! Navi! You're just where I want you both now!"

To Zane' horror a cart started to roll out, slow at first as it was all up hill. Zane actually cried as he climbed, the sound of the cart getting closer and closer and the laughter of Colin' father ringing in his ears,

"Colin...I have to save him!" Zane told himself firmly and onward he faught. On the downward slopes Zane dropped down and used the rails like monkey bars but he was only able to do this because the cart was on it's way back down, having lost momentum half way. Zane pulled himself back up and continued along the track until he reached Colin and started untying him "We've got this"

By now the cart was on a collision course with them.

"I have the Phantom Hourglass" Colin told him, "Did I do well?"

"Yeah!" Zane laughed, but then disaster struck, the cart caught up to them and where as Colin was able to jump in and alter it's direction it knocked Zane, "Colin!" He cried

Zane was then captured by the twilight bird after Colin and dropped into the quicksand below,

"No!" Colin cried

Back into his line of sight came Skyloft as Link dropped the gem and crashed to the ground,

"Link, it wasn't Colin' fault" Zelph said

"I don't blame Colin but we need to get that Phantom Hourglass off him before anyone else gets hurt" Link said,

"We need a Loft Wing" Zelph said

"I need Skyward Link' Loft Wing" Link replied, "He's the only one to have ventured down to the Surface"

Link whistled but instead of Skyward' Loftwing appearing Aeolius did,

"You used that whistle to wake me so that whistle became my command, you can summon me anytime you wish because it's you, do you need me right now?" Aeolius asked

"Yes" Link sobbed

He hugged the Rito and the Rito hugged him back,

"What's wrong?" He asked

"We lost Zane" Link sobbed

"You didn't lose him at all, he just lost his body" Aeolius told Link

Link looked at him,

"Huh?"

"Navi left Shade too for a time you know but then returned to his Grandson in the form of Midna, Skyward Link had Fi, you'll know Zane when you see him" Aeolius told him reasuringly

"We need to follow Colin and stop his father, he has the Phantom Hourglass" Link said

"In that case climb aboard, Zelda, you're father wants you home now" Aeolius told her before leaving her on Skyloft when he and Link warped out using the ability the Great Fairy gave him.

Zelph looked around,

"How would he like me to do that?" Her Loftwing landed beside her, "Can you get me home?" She asked, stroking it

The bird gave an affectionate noise and took off with her as she sat on his back.

Link and Aeolius appeared by the window of a tower with a track leading into it,

Link jumped through the window to where Colin was lying, crying and hugging the Phantom Hourglass,

Meanwhile Aeolius flapped his wings to create a draughed strong enough to frighten Colin' father and a minion, both in a cart, making their way up to Colin.

"Aeolius!" Link cried as his hand went through Colin, "There's a time lapse he's not here"

Aeolius looked back as Colin' father warped out, leaving the minion in the cart to crash into a wall and get flung into the quicksand far below.

Link looked at the ring,

"No, forget their next point, you want the one after"

Link watched a Colin being chased through walls and across canyons in one of several parts of Hyrule he had at present only ventured in a game, that of Link between Worlds. He thought he was the only one with this power but quickly realised that with the key Colin had stolen it would have enabled him to reach all areasd,

It was hard to watch, he could see from the desperation in his face that Colin hadn't wanted any of this, he'd been tricked and was trying so hard to put things right. Link also had the most uneasy feeling that Colin was about to fail spectacularly by not having faith in Link.

Colin was grabbed by the ankle but shook this off and warped out.

"He's on his way to Outet Island!" Link cried

Link climbed onto Aeolius' back and the two warped to Hyrule 3 and Outset Island,

Link used his arrows to distract Colin' parents as they landed on the path leading up to the forest atop of the cliff,

"We're not being quick enough Link, we need to reach Colin' desired destiation before he does so we can retrieve the hourglass" Aeolius said in a panic

"I know, you need to fly me close to Colin" Link said

"How close?"

Colin screamed when Aeolius flew to just an inch above his head, knocking Colin' father off the cliff and into the sea far below,

"Got it Aeolius?" Link asked as his sword started flashing

"Got it and you know what else you've got?" He asked as they warped out, "Zane"

"Fi...she came from the sword itself, he just went back to the sword" Link realised, then he realsied where they were, "Oh Colin you idiot, don't you realise what you've done?"

They were in Termina...the three Godnesses never ventured into Termina, it was a dark alternative,

"Oh no, the glass will surely smash if he...Link we have to stop him!" Aeolius screeched,

"How?!"

At that moment Zelph arrived on her Loftwing,

"I thought I told you, you were to go home" Aeolius said

"Aeolius listen, we can't stop that glass from breaking now but we can save an importan componant"

At that moment Colin arrived,

He tried to run but realised he was stuck in one spot,

As Colin' father arrived, so did the four Gods of Termina,

To Colin, Zelph, Link and Aeolius' horror one of the God' took the Phantom Hourglass, crushed it and sprinkled it's dust into the wind and tossed it's componant miles off,

"Who dares to bring Hyrule' troubles down here!?" They boombed, "Was it the Skull Kid?!"

"No...I, I stole the key to gain entry to the Twilight after dad stole the Phantom Hourglass, he had help but it wasn't from me" Colin said terrified, "I opened the door and Bathilda escaped, she told me my kindness would be repaid, I didn't do it for her...it was the only time dad has ever told me he was proud of me, I was so happy, I couldn't tell him why I was really there. To stop him"

"You will be punished!" The God' yelled

"I think he's been punished enough" Link said calmly, then to Colin he added, "Colin, who did your father have help from?"

"A Garudo woman with the Fierce Diety Mask, she needed mum' help getting the Phantom Hourglass and thought she'd made a friend in my father. She used the power in the Firece Diet' sword to break the seal on the door temporarily...you know the rest" Colin said,

"Here is something you didn't know Colin, he put your mother in that glass" Zelph told him

"What?" Colin said in tears

The four Gods of Termina took pity on Colin now and created a wind and a vortex to blast the dust from the Phantom Hourglass from the place and retrieved the componant Zelph said they'd need,

"As for you" They said to Colin' father, "A new face to match your black heart"

They turned Colin' father into a Twilight Bird and banished him too.

Then just as Link, Zelph, Aeolious and Colin were wondering what to do now they heard a laugh that chilled them to the bone,

"Ganondolf!" Link cried

 **The End**


End file.
